Letters
by Tisley
Summary: Pilot was digitized in "Retribution," but the damage was too much for the Resistance doctors to repair. Someone else stepped up to help, but it meant her leaving the team for a while. Went back and rearranged...ch. 22 is reposted as "new" content, but all the same after that - see author's note.
1. Chapter 1

The nightmare just kept getting worse.

Weren't you supposed to be able to wake up from nightmares? As terrifying as they were, and as long as the effects of them could linger at times, weren't you supposed to be able to wake from them?

All Jon wanted to do was to wake up.

The destruction of the base had been the beginning. The fear when he'd realized she was there by herself, the terror he'd felt when she'd insisted on following backup procedures. And it had only gotten worse.

And then she'd been gone.

Somehow, they'd gotten to the rendezvous point. They'd found the extra suits, the backup for Mentor. She'd managed to get the things they'd need most to them – everything except her. Jon still didn't remember how they'd gotten to the Passages after that. The next thing he'd remembered was sitting in the jumpship in the hangar there. He had no idea how long he'd stayed there, simply staring at her empty chair. He hadn't physically been able to move. All will to do anything had completely left him. A quiet part of him recognized the grief from when his parents had died…but this was even worse than he remembered from those early days. She was gone. He'd never get to tease her again, laugh with her again…talk to her again. He'd never get a chance to tell her how he felt. She'd never know that someone felt for her as strongly as she had for him. She'd never been given the chance to hear someone tell her they loved her, and now she never would. All because he couldn't get up the courage.

He remembered Matt trying to get him to leave the jumpship, trying to get him to rest or eat. He had eventually given up and sat with Jon for a while, talking at him quietly about situation reports and offers of help from the people at the Passages. It had all been a faint buzzing in his ears – he knew it was there, much like a mosquito, but he didn't have the strength to even swat it away. Matt had finally left him there in the jumpship, but Jon had been vaguely aware that a member of the team had stayed either in or directly outside the ship the entire time he'd closeted himself in there. Sometimes they tried to draw him out, but mostly they'd just let him be. He'd stayed there for almost two entire days, until the buzzing became louder and he realized that it was Scout's voice arguing with Tank and Matt.

"If there's a chance, we have to take it!" he yelled "If Dougherty was right, and that's the sound that came through at the end of the transmission was –"

"Rob, none of us want to believe she's gone, but we have to face it –"  
>"And if she's not? If she's trapped in that damn machine? You're going to just leave here there? She'd never leave any of us – <em>ever<em>. She'd fight until she was sure there wasn't a chance –"

"What chance is there? We watched it happen!" Matt was yelling back now. "There wasn't time –"

"We were all focused in on _her_. We couldn't even see Blastarr from where we were. What if we missed it? What if we were so caught up in our own panic and grief that we _missed it_? The recording is there – an 80% chance that it was a digitizer firing up as she was talking to us. There were so many flashes, why couldn't one of them have been the beam –"

"You've seen Jon," Matt almost snarled. "Do you know what this would do to him? If he thought there was a chance and then we were wrong? It'd kill him. I don't know about you, but I can't handle losing another team member right now!"

Jon was aware that Tank's voice, firm but calm, had broken in and was trying to reason with his two emotional teammates. But he was fixated on bits and pieces that Scout had said.

80% chance.

Digitizing beam.

Was there really a chance?

Suddenly, he'd been able to move again. He'd appeared at the hatch of the ship, demanding a report. Matt had stalked away, furious, but Scout, desperate to believe that his friend wasn't gone, had filled him in on how one of the techs there had picked up the last transmission from the base…and how he had heard the sound none of the rest of them had because they'd been facing the idea of losing one of their own. Once Scout's report was done, they all looked at him, waiting to see what he'd do. He'd done the only thing he could have – he ordered them to leave immediately, to go back to Colorado.

And he'd held his breath almost the entire way. If he breathed too much, he knew he'd get too hopeful. And Matt was right – he couldn't handle being wrong. It was everything he could do just to function now…if he had to go back down into the pit he'd been in, he was certain he'd never come out.

But luck…or fate…or some kind of god had smiled down on him, he'd thought. They'd arrived at what had been their base – their home. It was the only home she'd ever known, and it was unrecognizable. But they'd picked up the biodread's homing beacon, and they had uncovered the digitizing unit just before Dread's forces had arrived, probably on the same kind of mission. The team had had to shoot their way out, but they'd made it. They'd brought the unit back to the passages and allowed Dougherty to examine it. Then the answer they'd been waiting for – the digitizer had been activated seconds before the biodread had been destroyed.

There was a complete pattern there, but it was caught in a loop, not having been completely processed before Blastarr had been destroyed. No one knew what that would mean. No one knew what kind of shape the pattern would be in when it was reintegrated. And the techs at the Passages only had a limited knowledge of the reintegration procedure, anyway. The team had to make a decision. As Jennifer's family, they were the ones who had to decide whether or not to risk reintegration. It wasn't really a hard decision – she'd told them enough about her life in the Youth to know that being trapped in there would be a fate worse than death for her. Scout had been right – she _never_ would have stopped fighting if she'd have known that was one of their fates. They made the decision to try reintegration…and held their breath. The first word they'd gotten had been from the techs as they exited to give the doctors room to work. "She's there, Captain. She's there…but she's in bad shape. They're fighting for her now."

So they waited. And they waited. The first nurse brought out her Powersuit…it had survived the reintegration process intact. When he saw the amount of damage, he'd all but collapsed into a chair there in the hallway. The four of them never left the hall outside the operating room during the long hours the doctors fought to keep her alive. They received updates sporadically – that she was alive and seemed to be fighting, that the damage was worse than they'd expected. Once, a nurse came out simply to tell them that it would be a while longer. Afterwards, Jon would wonder if they really had worn paths in the floor while they alternated pacing with slumping in the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting area.

Finally, the doctor in charge had emerged to talk to them. He told them how she'd fought – how they'd almost lost her several times, but she'd held on. "That's our girl," Matt had whispered.

"She's alive, Captain. She shouldn't be, to be completely honest. But she's there. The next few days will tell. We're going to put her in the regenerator for as long as it's safe, and then we'll have to wait and see."

So the nightmare had gone on as they'd continued to wait. The others made repairs to the jumpship – Jennifer would want it in top shape when she woke up, they'd said. One of them came by every hour to check in on her condition, and on their captain since Jon had stayed in the medical ward. He refused to leave. He'd tinkered with her suit, but he needed more advanced tools to really repair it. He couldn't find anything else to occupy his time…so he'd spent most of his time staring at the door he knew she was behind. When it was no longer certain that remaining in the regenerator was helping her, they'd removed her. Jon hadn't been prepared for how small, how _frail_ she'd looked under the sheet there on the bed. She was without a doubt one of the strongest people he knew. He almost didn't recognize her. Many of the superficial wounds had been healed in the regenerator, but she was surrounded by monitors and sensors – it was clear that she wasn't out of the woods yet.

It wasn't long after that that she'd shown the first signs of consciousness. Her hand would twitch in his, or she'd moan slightly. When she finally did, he'd come close to falling apart again. It had been in the evening, and the other three had just left the room. He wondered, afterwards, if their quiet conversation had been what had pulled her back to them. She'd moaned again, and stirred, and actually opened her eyes. She'd seemed confused at first.

"Hey there," he'd managed quietly around the lump in his throat. He knew his eyes were swimming with tears, but he smiled at her, leaned in close and brushed the hair back from her face. "I was hoping you'd come back soon."

"Jon?" she'd whispered feebly.

"Shhh…don't try to talk. You need to rest. I'm right here."

"What?..."

He didn't want to go into details about what had happened. "You've been out for a while…you were in pretty bad shape."

She'd closed her eyes again, and he thought she was fading back out. "Blastarr?" she'd whispered. She wasn't fading out, he realized then – she'd been trying to think, to remember what had happened.

"You took care of him," he assured her. "He didn't get anything."

She'd nodded slightly, and her eyes fluttered open again. "How…?"

He took a deep breath – he wasn't sure what she'd remember. Athena Samuels had remembered being digitized. The haunted look in her eyes when she'd spoken of her experience had been in the back of Jon's mind ever since they'd realized what had happened to Jennifer. What would she remember? "You were digitized at almost the same second the base exploded." Her eyes widened, but she stayed quiet. "You were caught mid-stream…it did a decent amount of damage. And you were in rough shape to begin with. The doctors weren't sure you were going to make it at all. We knew you wouldn't give up, though." He continued to stroke her hair. "I'm so glad you didn't give up," he whispered, nearly losing control of his emotions. She tried to move – to comfort him? - but gave up and moaned instead.

"Shh…they don't have enough medication right now to keep you sedated, so they made me promise to make you stay still when you woke up," he said. "I need to get the doctors, let them know you're awake." But she tightened her hand where he'd been holding it.

"Don't….don't go," she whispered.

He smiled at her again, held her hand tightly and kissed it. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm just going to poke my head out the door and get the nurse's attention, and then I'll be right back here. The doctors wanted to examine you once you woke up."

For a little while, he thought he was finally waking up from the nightmare. Someone had gathered the others for him, and they'd all spent a few minutes in her room drinking in the fact that she was still with him before they left to get some rest. Jon had dozed on and off in the chair there in her room, holding Jennifer's hand, and waking each time she had stirred or a nurse had come in to check on her. The next day or two were a blur. He spent almost all of it in the chair by her bed, holding her hand. He left only for a few hours when the doctors decided that she needed another bout in the regenerator, and he collapsed into an empty bed. After that, Jennifer drifted in and out of consciousness, but began to be alert for longer periods of time. They filled her in on bits and pieces of what had happened since the explosion at the base, what they'd been doing while they waited for her to regain consciousness – anything to keep her mind off the pain she experienced between doses of medication. The doctors were doing what they could, but her injuries were so severe that most of them were still amazed that she was alive. But she _was _alive and talking with them, albeit for short spans. The team started to breathe again. They began to discuss their next moves – where would they go? They needed to establish a new base. Scout was working on boosting the computers in the jumpship to handle Mentor's full programming, but there was still some work to be done. They tried to adjust to this new normal.

But three days after she'd woken up, things had started to change. Jennifer seemed to be in more pain than she had been before. Sometime during the third night, Jon had realized that the nurses were hovering around a specific monitor every time they came in. And the longer they stayed at the monitor, the less time passed between their visits. He wasn't sure what the monitor was, but he had started to get nervous. Jennifer woke again around dawn. She had been smiling weakly as Jon had told her about Scout's latest escapades with a pretty technician when the doctor had come in on his morning rounds. He'd greeted them both with a smile, commented on how they both looked like they could use a little more sleep, and then consulted the computer panel that held the nurse's observations for the night. He went back and forth from it to the same monitor for several minutes, double-checking the log on the machine. The silence in the room had pressed in on Jon until he had to stop himself from covering his ears. Something was wrong. But the doctor had excused himself, saying he needed to check in with the nurses and a few of his other patients. Jon settled himself back in the chair and tried to continue to distract Jennifer, but he was glad when Hawk, Scout, and Tank had entered the room. They took over the teasing and joking while he stared at the door, wondering when the doctor would be coming back in to explain what was going on.

He didn't have to wait long. A nurse had come in not long afterwards and explained that Jennifer needed yet another turn in the regenerator. Jon tried to rest, but unlike the last time, he couldn't fall asleep despite the fact that he was exhausted. When they brought Jennifer back to the room, she was asleep again, so he'd left the room to give the nurses the space they needed to get her settled again. The others joined him, having heard she was back. But as they walked down the hall towards the mess hall, convincing Jon that he needed to keep his strength up for her, one of the doctors was waiting for them. And the nightmare kicked back into full gear.

"Captain, I need to speak with you about Corporal Chase's condition."


	2. Chapter 2

_The beginnings of massive tissue degradation, probably connected to the time spent in the digitizer without being fully processed._

_No longer responsive to the regenerator._

_Nothing we can do._

_At the current rate of degradation, the best we can hope for is a week, maybe ten days._

The doctor had left the team to try to come to grips with the news he'd just delivered. All any of them could do was stare at each other in disbelief.

"All this….all this, and there's nothing they can do for her?" Scout croaked in disbelief. "After thinking she was gone, and then getting her back, and the fight she put up…the best we can hope for is a week?"

Hawk was shaking his head. "No. There's got to be something else. Someone else who is able to deal with injuries of this magnitude. We need to start calling in some favors." His face was determined. "We can start by reaching out to the other Resistance cells."

"We can do that from the jumpship if we head out of here for a little bit," Tank agreed. "It'll be safer to contact them that way. Captain…it might carry more weight if you made some of the calls." There was no answer, and all three men turned from their impromptu strategy session to focus on their captain. They weren't prepared for what they saw. Jon had slumped against the wall, his head in his hands.

"Jon?" Hawk reached out to the younger man and put a tentative hand on his shoulder. "Jon, we have to do something. We can't just give up. She needs you to keep trying."

"I can't do it again. I can't lose her again." It was barely a whisper, but they all heard him. "I can't do it, Matt."

Scout and Tank looked at each other helplessly. Seeing their captain like this…they weren't sure what to do. But they knew Matt was the one that was most likely to get through to him. "I know, Jon," Matt answered, and his voice trembled slightly as he continued. "But right now, giving up isn't going to do anything to help her. She needs you to keep trying. She wants to be here with you just as much as you want her to be. Help her do that – let's see if we can find anyone out there that can help us."

Jon didn't respond at first. Finally, he took a deep breath and raised his head. "I don't want her to know yet. I want her to be able to rest."

"That's more like it," Matt said bracingly. "Why don't you go tell her that we have to go contact someone, and let her know you'll be back soon. You can put out a few feelers, and then jump on a skybike and head back here. We'll finish up with the groups we're closer to."

They had done just that – Jon had returned to Jennifer's room and found her awake, in pain, and exhausted from the trip to and from the regenerator. He'd managed to hide his worry from her and encouraged her to rest, stayed with her until she fell back asleep, and then the four of them had set out, determined to find an answer. Once they were far enough away from the Passages to be safe, they'd started contacting everyone they could think of. They had prioritized the list, and Jon had made several contacts himself before heading back to Jennifer as quickly as possible. He'd found her resting, and had tried to content himself with settling back into what had become "his" chair and watching her sleep.

When he caught himself counting the breaths she was taking, he made himself stop. That kind of thought wouldn't help him at all. All the people he'd contacted had promised to make inquiries but, the truth was, no one knew of anyone firsthand who could help them. There were still plenty of contacts to make, and he knew that the others wouldn't rest until all options had been examined. There was a lead weight that had settled in his chest when the doctor had begun to talk to them that morning, however, and with every passing minute without word that a solution had been found, it got heavier and heavier. _A week to ten days…_

Jennifer slept most of the day, though it was fitful, and Jon contented himself with holding her hand and trying to memorize her features. He continued to hope that his team had found something – anything – that would help. He couldn't do anything else. For a few brief moments he tried to brace himself for the possibility that he would have to explain to her what the doctor had said. But the lead weight had clamped down on his chest so tightly that he couldn't draw a breath, and he'd pushed the thought away. The team would come through – they always took care of each other.

But the look on Matt's face when he came through the door that evening told him that, despite their efforts, they'd come up empty.

Jon had joined them in the hallway, and was now slumped in a chair, attempting to master his emotions. No one that they'd spoken to had any idea of a medical expert who would be able to help them more than the doctors at the Passages. No one else had the type of medical equipment that they had here, let alone anything more advanced. The entire Resistance, Matt had told him, was scrambling to find a way to help her. No one wanted the Power team to lose a member. But they were hitting brick walls.

"Jon?" Matt's voice finally called to him through the fog his mind was in. Jon looked blindly up at him. "Jon…I think we need to tell her." Jon's eyes closed. How could he do that? How could he look at her and tell her there was no hope, when just days before he'd been begging her not to give up? "Do you want us to be in there with you?"

"No." It was a bit sick and twisted, but Jon was determined to have as much time as possible with just the two of them until…he was going to let himself be selfish this time. "I…I want –"

"Captain." The team turned to see someone coming briskly down the hallway towards them. Jon forced himself to focus – he couldn't actually be seeing what he thought he was seeing.

"John?"

"Captain – I came as soon as I heard." The envoy from Eden 2 strode purposefully up to them and shook Matt's hand. "Major, Lieutenant, Sergeant." He turned his focus on Jon. "I'm sorry, Captain, that it took me so long to reach you. I came as soon as I heard about the Corporal."

"What?" Matt looked at him incredulously. "How did you know –"

"I told you the last time we met, Major. We hear a great deal about you. I'm just glad we heard about this situation in time." He turned back to Jon. "Captain, I need to talk to you and your team in private. I've managed to find an empty room – will you come with me?"

Jon leaned against the wall of the small room, trying to digest what he was being told.

"It can be done, Captain. I've relayed the Corporal's medical records to a colleague of mine that works with the doctors in Eden, and he believes there's a chance they can save her. It would require us to move her quickly, however, before the degeneration progresses too far. We can have a transport ready to take her tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Scout was staring at the man like he was insane. "Move her _tomorrow?_ You say you've seen her charts – do you have any clue how much pain she's in just laying there on that bed? She's in no shape to go anywhere."

John produced several vials from a pouch at his waist. "This is a pain blocker that is more powerful than any of the medicine that they have here. It will make her more comfortable. And this is a sedative powerful enough to make sure she's unconscious the entire time we're transporting her – she won't be in any pain. But, Sergeant Baker, if we wait, the degeneration will progress until we can't reverse it. It will take some time for us to transport her to our facilities in Eden. We can't wait any longer than that."

"You're asking us to send her to a place that we aren't even sure exists," Tank argued.

"I've given you all the proof I can, Lieutenant. And anyway, how is that different from leaving her here to die?" John asked, his voice becoming harsh. He saw all four of them wince, and held a hand up as Matt rounded on him. "Gentlemen, I'm sorry. But this is a very unusual case. We don't usually make mercy runs. It is only because Corporal Chase is a member of your team, Captain, that it's even being considered."

Jon forced himself to think tactically. "_If_ you can help her…how _can_ you help her when no one here can? And if you can, what happens then?"

"First of all, we have the time to focus on things like this, Captain – we're not out here fighting for our survival. Here you have access to a one-stage regenerator. We have developed several stages of regenerators – we think that's what will be necessary to reverse the degeneration. But the toll on the Corporal will be severe – she will be very weak afterwards. It will be necessary for her to remain in Eden to recuperate. She'll receive therapy to build her strength back to where she needs to be to join you again. We're probably talking about months. You'll have to trust us, Captain. She'll be in good hands."

"But we won't have any contact with her, will we?"

"No…for safety reasons. You have to understand that we have to protect all the inhabitants of Eden. It's impossible for us to stay hidden if we transmit messages back and forth. Our only means of communication is through myself and my fellow couriers." He saw the look on their faces. "I'm sorry – the only alternative is-"

"We know," Matt cut in. "It's just…it's a lot to ask, John. Send her someplace else, somewhere where she knows no one, critically wounded…and then have no contact with her?"

"What other choice do we have?" Jon's voice was strained. "No one out here can do anything for her. John is right - if we keep her here..." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "What time tomorrow?"

"I've made contact with one of my colleagues that is heading back to Eden tomorrow. He will be waiting for you at 0700. The coordinates are here," he said, handing a data chip to the captain. "It will be necessary for you to be there on time. He won't have much time to spare in order to get her to Eden before too much damage occurs. I…I knew that you would need time to explain things to her, to say goodbye. But that's all we can give you." John looked directly into the captain's eyes. "Will you trust us, then?"

"Yes," Jon replied. "It's the only chance she's got."

Jon entered Jennifer's room quietly, not wanting to disturb her. A nurse had administered some of Eden's pain medication, and Jennifer seemed to be resting more comfortably already. He was torn – knowing he had a finite amount of time with her, his first instinct was to wake her up. He had so much to say to her. But he knew she deserved this break from the pain, the chance to rest. He settled into the chair by her bed and took her hand again. He was so scared, he wasn't even sure he could speak yet, anyway. Had he made the right decision? He went over and over the scenarios in his mind. The uncertainties were haunting him.

"Jon?" He looked up suddenly to see Jennifer's eyes staring back at him.

"Hey there," he said, smiling to see her awake again. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better," she admitted. "The nurse said she was giving me something different for the pain – did they find something else to give me?"

Jon took a deep breath – there was so much to explain. "We did find something else…but from an unusual source."

"Jon?" Her hand came up to rest on his arm. It didn't seem to cause her as much pain now – Jon was thankful, again, for the medication from Eden. Her eyes were clear for the first time since she'd woken up. However, that meant she could look into his, and he knew she saw his emotions. She was concerned for him…all of this, and _she_ was worried about _him_. "What is it?" she asked

"We need to talk."

"So…this is my best chance?"

Jon had to admire her ability to look at a dismal situation in an analytical way, even when it concerned her life. "Yes, we think so."

Jennifer closed her eyes. "I'll be gone for a while, won't I?"

"Yes. They're thinking months."

When her eyes opened, he saw uncertainty there. "The doctors here are sure…?"

He could still hear the doctor's words echoing in his head. "They told us earlier that there was nothing they could do. We didn't want to tell you until we'd exhausted all our options. We weren't about to give up on you."

She smiled a little at that. "I know you wouldn't. You didn't give up on me when I first escaped Dread, or when I had so much to learn. You didn't even give up when the base first exploded." She closed her eyes – was she getting tired? But her next words told him her mind was still working overtime. "I'll be alone there."

"No," he insisted, holding her hand tighter. "No, you won't be. I promised you you'd never be alone, and I meant it. I'll find a way to communicate with you, I swear. I can't imagine not knowing how you're doing for months. I- I don't think I can bear that."

She looked up at him, squeezed his hand back as best she could. "I don't want you to worry about me. You have enough work in front of you. The base is gone, you need someplace to go, you have to rebuild our stores -"

"Hey – you have one job, and one job only. You're to concentrate on getting better. That's an order, Corporal." He watched her smile tiredly at him, and realized that he needed to tell her so much more. He'd waited too long last time to tell her how he felt. He'd been worried about how it would affect the team, how she felt in return…But that question had been answered, and that kind of hesitation had cost him his first chance. He might not get another one. He couldn't wait anymore. He scooted the chair closer to her bed and took a deep breath.

"You need to rest. Eden is your best chance, but a lot is going to depend on how hard you can fight. And I need you to keep fighting, Jennifer. I thought you were gone before – I can't lose you again." Her eyes softened, and she opened her mouth to speak, but he pressed on. "When you told us that you were going to blow the base manually…that you were hurt…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I didn't answer you when you told me how you felt. But I _couldn't,_ because that would mean acknowledging that I wasn't going to get that chance to talk to you later. I didn't want to think that you were…that you wouldn't be there when we got to the rendezvous point. And then you were gone, and I didn't get a chance to tell you. I'm not going to risk that again. I can't let you leave without letting you know how I feel." He stared into her now wide eyes and said, "I love you, Jennifer. I have for a very long time. I didn't know what to do about it, at first," he admitted with a smile. "I didn't expect to fall in love in the middle of this mess. And I was afraid – of what it would mean for the team, of whether or not I'd be able to handle sending you out on missions…of just taking that step without knowing if you felt as strongly as I did. But I've learned that I'm more afraid of being without you," he added. He reached up to wipe away the tears that were now beginning to spill from her eyes. "So I need you to get some rest, and to keep fighting, because I don't think I can do this without you." He leaned forward and kissed her softly. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment, and then she was looking at him with the most genuine smile he'd seen on her face since she'd woken up. "That's what I needed to see," he whispered.

Early the next morning the Power team was approaching the coordinates John had given them in the Jumpship. Hawk was in the pilot's chair, and Scout and Tank monitored for any sign of Dread activity. The captain's chair, however, was empty. Jonathon Power was sitting on a bunk in the back of the ship, gently cradling Jennifer in his arms. She'd had another dose of the pain medication from Eden, but he was still careful not to jostle her for fear of causing her more pain. At the moment, however, neither of them were focusing on that.

"You know, if we'd have been able to have our conversation like we'd planned, we could've been on a date by now," he teased her gently, trying to keep both their minds off of their destination.

"A date?" she asked, not recognizing the reference.

"Yes – when two people who are…interested in each other spend time getting to know one another."

"Sounds like fun," she smiled. "What would we do on this 'date'?"

"Well…I guess our options would be a little limited nowadays," he grinned down at her. "Before the war, we could have gone out to dinner, caught a movie…I could've taken you for pizza."

"Pizza?"

He stared at her – she didn't know about pizza? Of course she didn't, he chided himself. He'd have to fix that. "Oh, I have to find a way to introduce you to pizza. It's the best – the crust, and the tomato sauce, and the melted cheese... There was this place down the road from school. Our families – Matt's, and my parents and I - were there so much the owner knew us all by name." He smiled at the memory, and toyed with her fingers as he talked. They were so small…_she_ seemed so small and frail. It didn't make sense with the woman he knew. He shook himself mentally and continued his story. "Sometimes just Dad and I went. We even had a 'usual' – a large pizza with pepperoni and extra cheese. All we had to do was walk in and they'd start making it."

"It sounds like you had fun." Jennifer smiled at him.

"We did. I'd love to be able to take you there. Maybe they have pizza in Eden – you can try it there."

At that, her eyes dropped. "I'd rather wait and go with you," she said softly.

"I'd rather that happen, too," he agreed, bending down to kiss her forehead. "But I've been thinking – you might as well take advantage of what you can while you're there. You've never had a chance to know a world without Dread. If this place is all it's cracked up to be, you'll get to experience so much that you haven't before." When she didn't respond, he tipped her chin up to look into her eyes. he was surprised to find tears there. "Hey...you're going to be ok," he assured her. He threaded their fingers together, trying to reassure her.

"It's not that." He had to listen closer to hear her. "What happens when I get there and I don't understand something, or I can't figure out the subtext, or -"

"Shhh." He put a finger on her lips. "You'll be fine."

"You know very well I spend most of my night duties discussing things with either one of you guys or Mentor. I won't have that there. They won't know _why_ I don't know it, and I don't know what they'll think if I tell them."

He shook his head. "You have come so far, Jennifer – I _know_ you can do this," he said firmly, stopping her from arguing with him. "You are so much more comfortable around other people now than you used to be." He stroked her cheek. "Please, _please_ just focus on getting better. The faster you do that, the faster I can get you back."

She looked up at him, eyes still watery. "I'm going to miss you," she finally admitted.

"I'm going to miss you, too," he said softly. He kissed her, and laid his forehead against hers. "Who's going to keep Scout in line when he gets one of his crazy ideas?" The corners of her mouth twitched. "You know no one else understands half of what he says when he starts up about anything computerized. He'll drive us all crazy. And who is going to make sure the jumpship stays in one piece?"

"If anyone mishandles this ship while I'm gone –"

"We wouldn't dream of it," he smiled. Mission accomplished, he thought. Her eyes were dry again. He held them steadily with his own as he continued. "We're going to make it through this," he said firmly. "And when you're better, we're going to get you back here, and you and I are going to pick up where we're leaving off. I plan on taking you on that date once you get back," he added.

"I'm going to hold you to that," she said, the small smile back on her face.

"Jon?" Matt stood quietly in the door. "Jennifer, I'm sorry…it's time. I need to give you the sedative." Jon wrapped his arms as tightly as he dared around her, holding her as close as possible. He felt her lean her head against his chest and take a deep breath.

"Ok."

He looked into her eyes, and kissed her again. "Let's get you where they can help you. Because you _have_ to get better – you _will _come back to me_."_ He took a breath to steady his voice. "That's an order, Corporal."

"Yes, sir," she said, trying to smile up at him. Her own voice trembled slightly.

Matt knelt down next to her, syringe in hand. He laid a hand on her shoulder, his eyes bright. "You know, Jennifer, you're an awful lot like I always imagined Katie would be if she'd had the chance to grow up. You've got her stubbornness, and her fighting spirit. You just remember that – you've taken everything Dread has thrown at you up until now and still stood strong. You'll be able to take this. We _all_ need you back – not just this lug," he added, nodding towards Jon. They all smiled. "You rest and get better. And when you can, try to get word to us. I don't think we'll be able to live with this one until you do."

"I will, Matt," she said. "As soon as I can."

"That's all we can ask." Matt smoothed her hair back. "We'll see you soon." He injected the sedative and stood up. "Jon? We're about ten minutes out."

"Thanks, Hawk."

Matt leaned down to kiss Jennifer's forehead. "Take care, Kid." He turned and walked back to the bridge of the ship, wanting to give the two of them these last few minutes alone.

Jon watched her face carefully. "How're you feeling?" he asked.

"That's some powerful stuff," she said, blinking. "I can already feel it."

"Well, then, you just settle down and get some rest." His heart was in his throat – he wasn't ready to say goodbye. He kissed her tenderly, then looked into her eyes. They were already starting to cloud. "I love you, Jennifer. I'll be waiting here when you get back."

"I love you, too," she whispered, her eyes fluttering closed. "I'll be back as soon as I can…" Her eyes closed as the sedative took hold. Though he knew that she wouldn't remember it, he kissed her again softly as his eyes brimmed over. "I love you," he repeated. "Come back to me."

Mark Davis watched from his cloaked ship as the TF landed.

"People really still fly those old birds, huh?" his partner, Jackson, commented with a smile.

"Yeah, well…not everyone has access to what we do, my friend," Mark smiled, patting the man on the shoulder. "You ok staying here while I go for the retrieval?"

"Sure – you're the people person, anyway." They grinned at each other at the inside joke. Mark had an easy way with people – the guys back at the hangar joked that he could talk to a hole in the wall if he needed to, and would probably make it laugh eventually. It was one of the reasons the two made such a good team. The couriers from Eden always worked as partners. One stayed with the ship, monitoring frequencies and scanners at all times, while the other approached the people they were supposed to be transporting. Richards, a quiet man, was much more comfortable staying with the ship.

Mark exited the ship, still out of the line of sight of the Power team. He was curious – everyone had heard about them, of course, but not many in Eden could say they'd met any of them. He knew why he was here – that a member of the team had been gravely wounded, that the doctors in Eden were probably the only hope of keeping the team together. That was about it, though. Due to the nature of the job, Mark was used to only having partial information. It was easier to keep everyone safe that way.

He slowly approached the last rock outcropping between him and the TF's landing site, listening to be sure he was right about who was around the bend. He heard the sound of the hatch being opened, and then the voices drifted to him.

"I don't see anyone," a heavily accented voice said. "They'd better be here."

"Scanners didn't pick up any type of transport, either," a second, younger voice said. "I guess we're a little early, but John seemed to think they'd be waiting for us."

"They'd better get here soon. Pilot didn't look too good when we loaded her in."

Silence lasted between them for a moment before the younger voice spoke again. "Tank…are we doing the right thing?"

"Like the captain said, what choice do we have?"

"I just keep trying to get this picture out of my head…one where Pilot dies out there without us…we should be together right now, as a team. Not sending one of us off into the unknown."

"We're going to have to have some faith," the one called Tank said quietly. "Pilot asked me about the Good Book after Haven…maybe it wouldn't be a bad time to read some of it."

"I don't know how reading an old book will help," the younger voice said gruffly.

"I tried to explain it to Pilot…it gave people hope. The idea that there was Someone out there, wanting us to do well, caring about us, watching over us…"

"Watching over us?" The younger voice was incredulous. "Who was watching out for Pilot when Dread came into power, huh? How about Stuart Power? Who was looking out for him when he went to save his son? The captain needed him – and he didn't get to come back. Who was looking out for my mom? Who was looking out for Matt's family, or for you when those madmen were creating Babylon 5?" There had been anger in the voice, but it suddenly was gone, replaced by a sense of hopelessness. "No one's looking out for us – all we've got is each other. And we're sending Pilot out there alone. It's not right."

No one spoke for a moment, and Mark was about to reveal himself – these were obviously the people he'd been sent to meet – when the one called Tank spoke again. "I know we've all had rough times. But there have been good times – we found Pilot in the first place all those years ago. We all found each other. Then we were convinced Pilot was gone for good, and now, just maybe, we'll get to be a team again. If we don't see the good things, what is there to fight for anymore?"

The younger man didn't say anything right away. When he did, his voice was different. "I hear them. Don't…don't mention what I said to the captain, will you? He doesn't need me making things worse."

"Don't worry, my friend." Mark imagined a comforting pat on a shoulder right before two more voices could be heard.

"Careful, Jon – watch your step."

"I've got it."

No one spoke for a moment. Mark quietly came around the rocks. His first picture of the Power team was of four men gathered around someone on a stretcher that had been laid on the ground. His immediate thought was that he hadn't seen many people that looked as beaten down as those four did. Their body language, their faces – there was anguish in every line. Mark knew that most Resistance teams were closely knit, but this was different. These men were fearful of losing a part of them, that was obvious. He tried to imagine how he would feel if someone close to him was being sent somewhere – without him – as a last-ditch effort to save their life. He wasn't sure he'd look any better than these men. He purposefully dislodged a few pebbles to make his presence known. Immediately, all four faces were turned to him, and three blasters were pointed in his direction. Mark slowly raised his hands.

"Captain Power?"

A tall, dark-haired man that Mark guessed was in his thirties stepped forward. Mark's first impression was surprise – he'd expected one of the two older men to be the one in charge. "And you are?"

"My name's Mark Davis, Captain. I believe John told you I'd be meeting you."

The blasters were lowered, but no one really relaxed. "Yes, he did. We didn't see your ship approach."

"No, sir…we make it a point to be here first, to make sure the area is secure. We can't be too careful in our business." He looked the man in the eye – they could have been the same age. But though his appearance was young, the captain's eyes seemed much older. Mark didn't want to know what had put that look in them. "My ship is nearby. My partner is manning the scanners just to be safe. We're on a bit of a schedule – from the records John transferred to us, your teammate needs care pretty quickly."

The captain recoiled at those words as if Mark had slapped him. "Yes." He turned back to the stretcher, and Mark got his first look at his passenger. He stopped short. It was a woman…a woman who looked so small and fragile lying there that he simply couldn't picture her in a Resistance group. His surprise must've registered on his face, because one of the older men smiled tiredly.

"Not what you expected, huh? Don't judge her by her size…she's a lot tougher than she looks." The eyes of the whole team rested on her, and Mark could almost feel them willing their teammate to continue to be tough. "Name's Matt Masterson – call sign Hawk," he said, shaking Mark's hand. "You've met Captain Power, and this is Tank, Scout…and Pilot. Corporal Jennifer Chase. She's had two doses of the painkiller, the last one before we left, and we gave her the sedative John gave us at 0630, just as we were told."

"Any problems?" Mark asked.

"It put her out right away," the captain said softly. He was crouched down next to his pilot, and he was holding her hand. Ahhh…that's where the look in his eyes came from, Mark realized. This was more than just a member of his team. "She's been out ever since."

"Everything's been entered on her chart," Hawk added, handing Mark a data disk.

Mark put it in his pocket, then looked at his watch – they needed to get going. "I'm sorry, but I need to take her now." Hawk bent down to pick up the stretcher, but Mark stopped him. "I can help…we try not to let too many people see how we get in and out of here if we can help it. Captain?" He reached down and lifted the other end of the stretcher as the captain did the same on his end. The three others gathered around.

"Hang in there, friend," Scout whispered, squeezing her hand.

"We expect to see you back here soon. I need someone to have a civilized conversation with – these jokers have no idea what I'm talking about," Tank said quietly, patting her arm.

"You keep fighting, Kid," Hawk said roughly, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "That ship won't like me piloting it for long." Mark looked away respectfully as all three men tried to master their emotions.

"We'll take care of her, I promise," Mark assured them as they started off. "This way, Captain." Mark led the way back around the rock outcropping toward the area where the ship sat, cloaked. They walked gingerly, careful not to jostle Corporal Chase as they went. In a short time, they were back at the ship. Richards uncloaked as they approached and met them with a sophisticated medical bunk that hovered in mid-air. Mark watched the captain's eyes for signs of surprise, but he was focused on the corporal. They placed the stretcher on the ground, and the captain carefully lifted her in his arms and placed her on the bunk. Immediately, the information screens lit up and began assessing the corporal's vital signs and injuries. The captain, however, was oblivious as he stood next to her. He had taken her hand again, and was brushing her hair back from her face. The Eden couriers tried to busy themselves with preparations for the flight to give the man some privacy. Richards tapped his watch at Mark and headed in to the cockpit. When one of the monitors on the bed began beeping, Mark had to step forward and adjust a few settings. He looked up, ready to begin moving the bed, but stopped when he saw the expression on the captain's face. Mark's heart went out to the man. "Captain? I promise, if anything can be done to help her they'll do it. She'll be in the best possible hands."

"I know," the other man choked out. "I just…we won't know. John said it would be months, and to think about going all that time and not knowing…"

Mark was frustrated – here they were, doing everything they could to keep this man's team together, but at the same time expecting them to go for months without an update on their friend. He made a quick decision. "Captain, I…look, Richards and I, we make a run every week. We'll be in the same general area on our next run. Meet us here, same time next week, and I promise you, I'll let you know how she's doing." The captain's head snapped up to look him in the eye.

"You can do that?" he asked.

"I've got a friend who works at the hospital – it won't be hard to get some information out of her," Mark grinned at him.

"No…John was adamant that we wouldn't have any contact. I want…I _need_ to know, but I don't want to endanger you or your mission. So I need to be sure you can -"

I _will_ do it," Mark said simply. "You deserve to know. I'd want to, in your place."

The pained expression on the captain's face lessened a little. "Thank you," he said weakly. "You don't know how much that means to me – to all of us."

"I've got an idea," Mark said with a sympathetic smile. "Now, I'm sorry Captain, but I need to get her to the people that can help her."

Power nodded once. He looked down at Chase for a moment, still holding her hand, and bent down and kissed her gently. Then he stepped back as Mark moved the bed into the hold of the ship and secured it. He then closed the hatch with a wave and what he hoped was an encouraging smile.

The last thing he saw of the famous Captain Power was him standing alone in a barren setting, watching the ship disappear from sight. After they'd recloaked and cleared the area, Mark went back to make sure Chase was still stable. He checked the monitors and was relieved to see that she was at least holding her own. "I don't want to go back next week and give him bad news, Corporal," he said quietly. "You need to hang in there. I've got someone that will be able to watch over you in the hospital – you'll get the best care they can give you. But that man back there? He's the one you need to be fighting for. Because I don't think he could handle hearing otherwise." He patted her arm and returned to his station.


	3. Chapter 3

A week later, Mark rounded the same rock outcropping to find four very anxious men waiting for him. Again, as he rounded the bend, four blasters were trained on him until they realized who he was. "We have to stop meeting like this," Mark joked, his hands raised, waiting for them to see him clearly. The blasters lowered, and Power advanced immediately. "Jennifer…is she…"

"That girl is a fighter, Captain. She's doing well." There was a collective sigh of relief and smiles all around. Mark watched as Hawk thumped Power on the back. The captain stood there, his eyes closed, trying to get a handle on his emotions. Mark took pity on him and addressed the other three instead. "My friend in the hospital tells me it was touch-and-go for a while there. They haven't dealt with that type of injury before. Of course, no one has ever heard of anyone being caught in the processor mid-digitization before, either. I have to tell you that Kelly – my friend – didn't think there was much hope at first. But Corporal Chase responded well to the last treatment they tried. She's currently spending her second day in the most advanced regenerator we've got, but everyone is pleased with her progress. It's going to be a long road back, but she's going to make it, Captain."

The smiles on the faces of the men in front of him made this little side trip completely worth it. Richards had been uncomfortable with the idea of deviating from their schedule at first, but Mark had been adamant that he would keep his promise. Now, seeing the difference in the men before him, he knew that he was doing the right thing. "Thank you," Power said. He looked like a man who had been thrown a lifeline. "This past week has been hell not knowing. You can't know how much this means."

"I think I've got the idea, from the looks on your faces," Mark smiled. "It was my pleasure. She should be out of the regenerator in a day or so, and then they'll monitor her for a while before they allow her to start therapy. The doctors are estimating about three to four months."

"How will we know when she'll be back?" Scout asked.

"John knows how to contact you. I'm sure he'll be in touch." Mark took a step back. "Gentlemen, I'm sorry, but we have a schedule to keep today. I didn't publicize that I was going to make this little stop. I need to go."

"Davis? Please…" Power approached him with a data disk in his hand. "Jennifer…she was worried about being around people she didn't know. I thought that maybe, if she had some contact with us, it would help her. This is a letter I wrote her – could you see that she gets it? At least it will be something."

Mark looked again into Power's eyes. The difference between what he saw there now and what was there last week was remarkable – this, he could see now, was the man he'd heard so much about. The man who continued to fight against Dread no matter what. The man that was willing to stay out here and fight while the woman that he obviously loved recuperated far away from him. Mark studied the team for a moment as they celebrated the first real, honest-to-goodness good news about their teammate. An idea had come to him during his time between runs in the past week. Mark knew that his job was important – he was ferrying people to safety in Eden, to a place where they could actually have a life without fearing Dread or his machines. But he sometimes wondered if he was making enough of a difference there, especially compared to people like Power, Chase, and the rest of their team who were risking their lives each day in attacks against Dread. Maybe, just maybe, he could help one of those groups by the simple act of being a courier. He'd have to keep it quiet…which probably meant picking up an extra shift in the hangar for Richards from time to time. But it would be worth it if he knew he was helping somehow.

"Tell you what, Captain. I'll do you one better. I'll get this to Kelly, and I'll have her ask Corporal Chase to dictate a message back to you once she's awake. Then you'll know for sure." Mark knew by the expression on the faces in front of him that he'd made the right decision. Richards was going to have to deal with it. "Just do me a favor? When it does come time for the corporal to come home, play dumb when John contacts you?" They shared a laugh as Mark backed up, ready to head out. "Same time, same place next week?" he asked.

"We'll be here," Power assured him. "Davis…Mark. Thank you."

Jennifer was disoriented again when she woke up – it took her a few moments to remember where she was. The room was small and anesthetic – a simple chair and table were the only furnishings besides the bed she lay in. Then she remembered – the hospital…Eden…she needed to start remembering. The nurse had explained that due to the hospital's need for large amounts of energy, it was built underground to help hide it. That meant no windows. She'd seemed apologetic when she'd explained it. Really, as far as medical facilities Jennifer had been in, it was downright elegant. No peeling paint, no cracked tiles, and she was pretty sure that the mattress she was laying on was thicker and more comfortable than any other she could ever remember.

A sound caught her attention, and she turned her head toward the door. There was the same nurse, coming in to check on her and record her information. She saw Jennifer turn towards her and paused by the bed instead. "Good morning, Corporal. You're more alert today. How are you feeling?"

Jennifer managed to smile weakly at her. "I've been a lot worse."

"Tell me about it – you've been much worse just since you've been here." The nurse checked a few of the monitors attached to the bed, adjusted a few things, and returned to smile down at her. "It's good to see you awake at all. You had us worried. Mark didn't want to have to go back and tell your captain that you weren't doing well."

Jennifer stared at her. "Someone managed to get word back to my team?" she croaked, her voice shaky from not being used.

"Yes. Mark Davis, the courier that brought you here. He's a friend of mine, and he's been getting regular updates on you so that he could report back to your captain." She stopped then, looked over her shoulder, and went to shut the door. "It's not really part of their normal routine, and I don't think he actually has told his superiors about it. But he didn't feel like he could just leave them like that for months while you recuperated. So he arranged to meet up with them on his next run and give them an update."

Jennifer closed her eyes in relief. "Oh, thank goodness," she sighed. "It must've been hard for them, not knowing."

"Yeah, Mark said it was pretty tough for them to send you in the first place. But apparently they're doing ok. In fact, I've got a letter for you from your captain if you're up to reading it." The nurse smiled as Jennifer's eyes went wide. "I take it you want to give it a try?"

"Yes, please," Jennifer said, trying to nod her head and sit up without much luck. She was so weak…she wasn't used to this.

"Hey there – don't push it. That's all we need to report to your captain – that you've had a setback because you tried to sit up by yourself to read his letter." The nurse pushed a button and the head of the bed rose upwards so that Jennifer was closer to a sitting position. "Remember what I told you yesterday – your entire body was in a state of degeneration. It would literally have fallen apart at the cellular level if we hadn't stopped it. That's not something that you bounce back from. You're going to have to retrain a lot of your muscles, almost from scratch. That's going to take time."

"Great," Jennifer grumbled.

The nurse laughed out loud at that. "You know, I'm getting the impression that you're not someone who likes to sit still very much." After making sure Jennifer was comfortable, she patted her hand. "I'm Kelly, by the way. Kelly Anderson. I'm here most days during the week, and a shift every other weekend. I'll be one of your primary care nurses, so we'll get to know each other pretty well over your stay here."

Jennifer smiled at her again. "Thanks, Kelly. It'll be nice to see a familiar face here. I'm…I'm used to being a part of a team," she said carefully, not wanting to reveal too much before she got to know this woman. "I'm not really used to being on my own like this."

Kelly patted her hand again. "You're not on your own, Corporal. Not anymore. I know you don't plan on making Eden your home, but we do have a decent amount of experience making new people feel welcome. You'll find we're pretty friendly here."

She checked one of the monitors again, seeming satisfied with what it told her, laid the reader on Jennifer's lap, and moved towards the door. "I tell you what – I'll leave you alone for a few minutes to read your letter before I bring your lunch tray in. It won't be very interesting – basic broth for now, until we're sure you're completely on the mend – but I can keep you company for a while if you'd like me to."

Jennifer smiled shyly. "I would like that. Thank you." Kelly returned the smile, then left the room, shutting the door behind her. Jennifer shifted her attention to the reader. A letter from Jon? She could hardly believe it. She'd been steeling herself for the fact that she'd have no contact with anyone she knew for several months, so this was an amazing surprise. She turned the reader on and began to read.

_Dear Jennifer,_

_I'm sitting here on the jumpship – in your seat – thinking about you, wondering about how you're doing. It's driving me crazy not knowing if you're improving at all. I have to tell you that giving you over to the courier from Eden was about the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. But I had to trust him if I wanted you to have any chance. So I let you go..and a part of me has been gone ever since. But the good news is that the courier offered to meet us at the same time this week to give us an update on you. So I thought I'd send him back with a letter for you. I know you were worried about being alone, and I wanted to remind you that you're not. Not ever._

_We're doing alright. Scout has been able to piece together enough computer parts that we should be able to get the backup for Mentor that you saved for us online within the next day or so. Right now we're pretty much nomads, traveling from settlement to settlement, trading for the things we need. I didn't realize how spoiled we were, having the base to call home. We knew it was tough for all the people that have been running from one settlement to another, trying to find someplace safe from Dread, but I guess that you don't really know until you experience it. We'll probably head back to the Passages in the next few days to regroup and rest for a day or two. At least we have that going for us. We miss having you here to bounce ideas off of – Scout has complained several times that he could really use you and the way your brain works as he tries to cobble together a computer that can hold Mentor. And the jumpship does not like having Hawk at the controls instead of you. She's getting a little temperamental. She always did respond best to you. But Hawk wanted me to tell you that he's keeping her in tip-top shape for you. We all know that we'll have to pay if she's in worse shape when you get back than when you left her._

_I wonder what Eden is like. I doubt you've had much of a chance to do any sightseeing yet. I wish I was going to be there with you to see the things you're going to see, but a big part of me is glad that you'll get the chance, with or without me. I can't wait to hear all about it when you get back. I know you're fighting right now, and you're probably still hurting. I wish I was there to hold you through it. Please know that I'd give almost anything to be able to help you through this. I guess all I can do is keep fighting out here, and make sure it's as safe as possible when you come back._

_I don't know when I'll be able to get anything to you again. If you feel up to it and one of the couriers is willing, let us know how you're doing when you can. I'll take any word from you I can get. I miss you terribly. Whenever I'm on night duty, I remember all the times we played chess when one or both of us couldn't sleep. I could use my favorite opponent right now to keep my mind off things. For now, I'll just tell you again that I love you, and that I'm thinking of you all the time. If I could help you heal faster by thinking about you, you'd be back here with me in a week instead of a few months._

_I love you,_

_Jon_

Jennifer was still holding the reader when Kelly quietly opened her door a little while later. Even though her patient was turned toward the wall, Kelly could tell she'd been crying. Her heart went out to this young woman who'd been through so much. Kelly had been here in Eden for the past five years…this woman fought each day to try to return the world to the one Kelly remembered from her childhood. Mark had told her about Captain Power, about the emotions he'd been unable to hide. It was obvious, Mark had said, that there were strong feelings between these two. If it was obvious to Mark, she thought with a sigh, it had to be pretty serious.

"Hey…did you enjoy your letter?" Kelly asked softly as she set the tray she was carrying down on the table.

Jennifer's hand swiped at her face before she turned back. "Yes, thank you. I need to thank your friend for bringing it." Her eyes were large and full of emotion, but she smiled, and Kelly thought it was the most genuine one she'd seen yet. "It was a surprise – a good one. I didn't think I'd get to hear from anyone for a while."

"Letters from home are a good thing," Kelly agreed. "It's hard to be away from the people you care about."

"Yes," Jennifer whispered. "Yes, it is. The funny thing is, it almost makes me miss...them...more."

"Well, that just means we have to get you healthy enough again to get you back to them," Kelly said briskly. "Let's start with some food. You could use a few good meals…more than a few, really."

Jennifer eyed the broth dubiously. "To be honest, I'm not very hungry."

"Well then, how about I make you a deal. You eat at least a few bites of this broth, and I let you dictate a letter back to your captain." Kelly smiled as Jennifer's face brightened. "See, I think we're going to end up getting along just fine."


	4. Chapter 4

Jon paced restlessly at the rendezvous point. He had come alone today – the rest of the team was still gathering supplies before they headed north to the site Mentor had indicated when they'd finally been able to bring him online. A part of him still couldn't believe that his father had planned for a disaster like the destruction of the Power base. The secrecy that had surrounded the building of the first base was difficult to achieve as it was. To think that there was an entire base somewhere that no one had known about – not even Matt! If they were able to settle back into a secure "home", it would mean a lot. As he'd told Jennifer in his letter, they really had experienced a rude awakening when they didn't have a base to return to.

Now, however, all he wanted was to see Mark Davis come around that rock and tell him that Jennifer was still doing well. He had looked forward to meeting him all week – sometimes, when he was really tired, it was all that got him through the task at hand. He didn't know how to adequately express to Davis what this meant to him – to have some kind of contact with Jennifer, even though she was so far away…or, at least he thought she was so far away. He supposed in reality that she could have been ten miles away right now, hidden under some kind of massive cloaking device, for all he knew about Eden's location. Vi and the Wardogs had said they were heading north…wouldn't it be ironic if Eden was somehow near the new base? Though, given the coordinates that Mentor had given them, he didn't see how any type of paradise could survive in _that_ area.

The sound of footsteps brought him back to reality. He put a hand on his blaster, but didn't raise it as Mark came around the corner. "Well, Captain, this welcome is a bit of an improvement," the man said with a smile. Jon couldn't help but smile back. Davis seemed like one of those genuinely friendly people that he seldom met anymore. The wars had driven that kind of personality trait deep underground out here. Maybe living in Eden made it a little easier…but he couldn't imagine that being a courier for this "underground railroad" they'd been told about was all that safe.

"Davis. Thanks again for meeting me."

"Not a problem, Captain. We're kind of on our own out here, as long as we get to our pick-up location on time. Too dangerous to actually contact anyone back home. So this little side trip won't arouse any suspicions."

"Your partner ok with it?"

"Richards is ok. He's just a little more cautious, that's all."

"I know that any time you spend out here is risky. I just want you to know that we appreciate the danger, and the chance to get news." Jon's eyes searched Mark's face. "Jennifer…how is she?"

"Aside from already complaining about having to stay in bed? She's doing well," Mark chuckled. "My friend is her primary care nurse most days, and the last time I talked to her she was trying to figure out something to keep the corporal occupied. Medically, she's improving daily. The doctors seem very pleased with her progress, even if the corporal's not. Kelly said that if it wasn't for the fact that Chase can't physically get out of bed on her own yet, she'd be tempted to strap her down."

Jon found himself chuckling, as well. He could hardly believe it - Jennifer was doing well enough that she was bored! He knew it was tough for her. They had never been able to keep her still when she'd been injured. But she couldn't get out of bed..."So she's still pretty weak?" he asked.

"Yes, there was a lot of damage. The doctors weren't kidding when they estimated that it would take months, Captain. Kelly was heading to the library to get her some books today."

"That will help – Jennifer loves to read," Jon agreed.

Mark took a reader from his satchel. "I think _you_ might enjoy reading this particular piece," he said with a sly smile. "Kelly had your corporal dictate a little something for you. From what she told me, they're pretty short because she's still building up her strength, but there are several letters in there." He watched Jon as his whole face lit up, and he knew that he was doing the right thing with these little "side trips," as Richards grumblingly referred to them. He could've just presented Jon with the key to destroying Dread, and he didn't think he'd get a better reaction out of him.

"These are from her?" he asked, incredulous.

"Unless you know anyone else in Eden that would be writing to you," Mark laughed. "Apparently your letter was a hit – she reads it over quite often," he teased. "So, yes, this is from her. Like I said, they're short because she tires so easily. But Kelly thinks she wanted to give you some of the reassurance that your letter gave her."

"That would be like her," Jon said softly. Mark could see that the man was itching to turn the reader on, so he decided to depart. "Gotta get a move on, Captain. Oh – it's probably not a good idea to keep meeting in the same place at the same time. Dread likes predictable, you know. So I added a new set of coordinates into the reader's memory banks – same day next week, slightly different time, different place. Does that work for you?"

Jon forced his attention from imagining what was in Jennifer's letters back to the man in front of him. "What? Oh, yes – I agree. A little variety will make it safer. You're sure this is still ok?"

"Yes, Captain. I promise, I'll let you know if it becomes a problem. But for now, consider it my little contribution to keeping morale up in the Resistance." He winked, and offered Jon a hand. "Until next week?"

"Until next week," Jon agreed, shaking Mark's hand firmly.

Mark sent a last look over his shoulder at Jon before he rounded the bend – he was sitting on the skybike with the reader in his hand, unable to wait to read at least one of Jennifer's letters.

_Dear Jon,_

_Thank you for thinking to send the letter! I was sitting here feeling sorry for myself because I couldn't get out of bed, but hearing from you snapped me out of it. I'm doing better. They've lowered the dose of painkillers to the smallest amount they can give me, and I'm barely even uncomfortable. They don't like the idea of me being uncomfortable at all, but I don't like sleeping for an entire day, so we've come to a bit of an understanding. They've told me that it will be a week or so before I can start therapy. If I don't go crazy from sitting in this bed the entire day before that, I'll be surprised. The nurses and doctors here are very nice…they're just not you guys._

_I hope you're ok, and that you're not worrying too much about me. I'm sorry this letter won't be as long as yours, but apparently just reading a letter, sipping some broth, and dictating a letter back are a bit much for me right now. I'm being told that if I don't go and get some rest now, my nurse will take the reader away until I've learned to behave myself. So I'm going to try and be cooperative. I'll talk to you again soon, though. I'd like to send a few of these back with the courier when he meets you next week._

_I miss you._

_I love you,_

_Jennifer._

Jon read the words over and over again, drinking in the fact that it was Jennifer and she was alive and able to do something as simple as dictate a letter into a reader for him. He could just picture her there, going stir-crazy because she was stuck in bed. Her nurse sounded like someone who knew how to get things done, though – it was probably exactly what was needed. Jennifer wasn't exactly the easiest patient. He skimmed his thumb over the closing. That probably wasn't the easiest thing for Jennifer to say out loud when he wasn't there, but it was exactly what he needed to hear.

He stood up and carefully packed the reader into the storage compartment on the bike. He would read the rest later on, when he was back in the relative safety of the jumpship. He and the team had work to do so that they could hopefully get a new base online. Jennifer needed a new home when she came back to them. And now, after reading her words and "hearing" her voice as he read them, he could finally believe she _would_ be coming home. With new energy, he powered up the skybike and headed back to the others to share the good news.


	5. Chapter 5

"Corporal?"

Jennifer looked up from the book she'd been reading and was completely surprised to find a familiar face there. "Colonel Tucker?" She'd only met the colonel once, when she and her Resistance group was headed to Eden. Jennifer knew she was an old friend of Hawk's, and he'd told her a few stories since they'd met up with them.

The older woman in the doorway smiled. "Yes – but please, call me Vi. I wasn't sure you'd remember me. May I come in?"

"Yes, please," Jennifer said immediately, marking her page and setting the book down.

"You look like you're doing well," Vi said, looking Jennifer over appraisingly. She had very little color, and the way she was laying against the bed told Vi that she was tired. But considering how she'd arrived… "I'd heard someone from Matt's team had been brought here in pretty bad shape. I tried to come check on you earlier, but they weren't really letting you have visitors for a little while."

"They tell me I'm doing much better. I guess I am – I can do a little more without being exhausted now." Jennifer shook her head. "I just still can't believe what tires me out – reading, writing letters –"

"And having visitors, I'm sure, which is why they limited you for a while. It's hard, I know. Soldiers don't make very good patients," Vi smiled. "But hopefully I can help you break up the monotony a bit. I hear you took down Dread's newest toy."

"Not before he about took me down," Jennifer said ruefully. "He found a way to track us to our base – he ambushed me."

Vi looked concerned. "The others?"

"I was the only one there. To be completely honest, I shouldn't be here at all. The only reason I am is that Blastarr digitized me."

Vi shuddered. "I hadn't heard that considered a blessing before, but I guess if it means you're here, it's a good thing."

"Yeah, I'm not really used to considering it a good thing, either, but it in the end it's the only reason I'm not buried under the rubble of the base."

Vi looked at her sympathetically. "It's gone, huh?" Jennifer nodded. "I wonder how the rest of them are holding up," she mused.

Jennifer looked at the door to make sure they were still on their own. "Actually, I've gotten a letter from them thanks to the courier who brought me here. He felt bad that they wouldn't know how I was doing, and he's been meeting them to take letters back and forth the past few weeks. It sounds like they're doing alright, though it's tough not having a home to go to at the end of a mission."

"A courier carrying letters, huh?" Vi smiled. "Let me guess…is it Mark Davis?" When Jennifer nodded again, she chuckled. "You'd never know what a softie that guy is from looking at him."

"Don't let him hear you say that." Kelly came in quietly and shut the door behind her. "Are you giving our secret out, Corporal?" she teased.

"Kelly, this is Vi Tucker. We met before she came here. She's an old friend of Hawk's, and she came to check in on me."

"Oh, good, someone else gets to help me keep her busy," Kelly drawled. "This one is not the most placid of patients." She actually got a good look at Vi, and recognized her. "You were here right after Jennifer got out of the regenerator, weren't you?"

"Yes, I believe you asked me to leave," Vi grinned at her. "But you also told me when I could come back, so I won't hold it against you."

Kelly laid a tray on the table in front of Jennifer. "Time for lunch, my dear."

Jennifer sighed. "You know, since I can't get up and do anything, I don't really have much of an appetite. But you keep bringing me trays full of food."

"That's because the doctor wants you to gain weight, Jennifer. You were pretty undernourished when you got here."

"She was a Resistance soldier," Vi said simply. "Fresh food is more than a luxury – it's next to impossible to find. There were days we were lucky to find some old MRE's." But she, too, was looking Jennifer over closely. "You could use some more meat on your bones, however," she agreed.

"So much for you being on my side," Jennifer joked. "Ok, what did you bring me today?"

"Some fresh bread, some fruit, and vegetable soup," Kelly said, taking the lid off with a flourish. She watched Vi sniff at the tray and make a face. "I know, I know – it's hospital food. It's not gourmet. But she's got to eat to gain weight if she ever wants out of here."

"It's a step up from plain broth," Jennifer admitted.

"Hmmm…I have someone who might be able to help with that," Vi said. "How long until her diet isn't restricted?"

"They're going to let her start trying a little more tomorrow, actually," Kelly said. "They want to see how her system handles it, then they'll release the restrictions."

"Good – I'll be sure to bring some real food in in the next few days," Vi stated simply. "Now, if you don't mind some company while you eat –"

"That would be wonderful," Kelly said with a wink at Jennifer. "That way you can be the one nagging her to keep eating." She grinned at the face she got from her patient.

"I think I can do that," Vi smiled, pleased to see the comfort level between the two. Matt had explained to her a little of Jennifer's past when they'd met up last year, and she knew that it might not be easy for the young woman to make friends. Apparently, she'd ended up in the right care. "Will it help if I tell you stories about the Major from back when?"

Jennifer's eyes twinkled. "That would definitely take my mind off the fact that I have no real appetite."

"That settles it, then," Vi said, settling back in the chair. Kelly watched as she made herself comfortable. It would be good for Jennifer to have more visitors now that she could handle it. It would keep her occupied, and she could continue to build her strength up. Kelly knew how lonely her patient had been.

"Now, did Matt ever tell you about the time he got caught sneaking a keg of ale back to the barracks by his commanding officer?"

_Dear Jon,_

_Yes, I really am alright. Yes, I really am writing this. I hear you needed a little reassuring when the courier gave you my letters last week that they were really from me. Writing still tires me out – can you believe it? Writing! It's so frustrating. But I thought seeing my handwriting might help you believe it really is me. I don't want you to keep worrying._

_Things are going pretty well. They're not giving me much of a chance to do anything here, and I haven't really seen much yet. Kelly, one of the nurses here, tells me she'll get me up and outside as soon as they let her. She keeps telling me that I have really only been here three weeks, and one of those was mostly spent in the stage 3 regenerator, so I need to be patient. You know that was never one of my strong points. I hate being still. The only good thing is that Kelly is supplying me with books, and she said she's trying to find me some music to listen to. I guess that's one thing I'll be able to do while I'm here – I can catch up on my reading. They must have an amazing library here. Kelly says she can get me pretty much anything I want. But I could really use a good game of chess right now!_

_Tell Hawk that Vi says hello. She's been coming to see me every day. She says that as soon as the doctors will let her, she's bringing me some "real food." Apparently, she runs a boarding house of sorts for people who have recently relocated here, and she has a pretty good cook working for her. I guess her group worked to renovate a larger building to stay in, and as some of them moved on to places of their own she started offering rooms to others. She swears she never saw herself doing this, but it's worked out for her. It's nice to have a few friendly faces to talk to – I've started to look forward to her visits. She's pretty determined that I'm going to stay at her place while I'm recuperating, before I come home. She says she understands that I want to get out of the hospital as soon as possible._

_I miss you guys. Almost everyone here has been really friendly, but they're not my family. I realized I've never been away from all of you for an extended period of time since I left the Youth. I'll be fine, but it's different. It's not home here. Of course, we don't have a home anymore, do we? I wonder if you've found someplace to rest and be safe yet. I hate that you're having to scrounge for cover and I'm being waited on hand and foot. I'd rather be there with you guys, helping out however I can. But I guess the fastest way I can do that is to get better so I can come back. So I'll do that._

_Kelly is telling me it's time to rest. They keep me on a pretty tight leash here. She says I need to tell you "You're welcome," because she's sure you're thanking her as you're reading this. I'll write some more later._

_Love,_

_Jennifer_

Jon smiled as he finished Jennifer's latest letter. He set off to find Hawk and pass on word that Vi had contacted Jennifer.

"Hawk?"

"In here, Jon." Jon followed his voice to a storage closet off the main hallway that led to the sleeping quarters. "It's like going on a treasure hunt," Hawk said as Jon found him. "You never know what you're going to find." Hawk moved a box to the floor from a shelf so that he could search through it better. "Your dad thought of a lot of things we'd need, but some of this stuff is a little confusing. For example, what did he think we would do with a dozen mops? They're sitting there in the corner," he laughed, jerking his thumb towards the back of the closet. Stuart Power had set this base up in secret, but his purpose for doing it was unknown. Some things they found made Jon think his father really was making contingency plans. Some things made him think that Stuart Power considered this a last resort hideout in case things went drastically wrong. Then again, some things – like the mops – made him think that the Northstar base was merely a storage area for things he didn't know what else to do with.

"Maybe he thought we would need to clean up a particularly big mess," Jon smiled. "Hey – I finished one of Jennifer's letters. She said she'd had a visitor."

"Vi?" Matt's face broke into a grin. "I wondered if she'd hear. A place like that can't be too big. I'm glad – it's a somewhat familiar face for Jennifer, even if they only met once. It has to help. How's Pilot doing, anyway?"

"Still confined to her bed, and still going stir crazy." The two men shared a grin over the young woman they knew so well. They'd tried to contain her in the medbay too many times to not understand the hospital's frustration. "Kelly is apparently bringing library books to her."

"Well then, at least it's something she can enjoy. She can get caught up on reading all those books she always talked about, as long as they have them there." Matt finished going through the box and returned it to the shelf. Nonchalantly, he asked, "Does she say anything else about Vi?"

Jon grinned. "As a matter of fact, she said to tell you Vi said hello. Apparently, she's running some kind of boarding house for people who are just relocating to Eden."

"Really?" Matt shook his head and laughed. "It would give her a chance to get to know everyone, and plenty of people to visit with. Sounds like something Vi would be great at." He pulled another box down only to find that it was taped shut. "Jon? This one is marked personal. Maybe you want to go through it?"

Jon looked down at the box. Personal? "These are Dad's things?" he asked quietly.

"Looks like it," Matt responded. When Jon didn't move, he elbowed him. "Jonathon, I don't think it'll bite you."

Jon cracked a small smile. "I know. It's just…Scout and I have to head out soon to meet Cypher to see about getting some of the parts we need for a few of the unfinished projects we found in the hangar. I'd like to take some time with this…maybe I'll just put it in my quarters for now."

Matt smiled at him knowingly. "Don't put it off too long, Jon. And," he added, laying a hand on his young friend's arm, "if you want some company when you _are_ ready, you know where to find me." He caught a glimpse of Jennifer's letter in Jon's hands. "What's this? A handwritten letter? I don't think even my grandfather hand-wrote his letters to my grandmother. You guys are going the old fashioned route, huh?"

Jon's smile became more genuine. "She thought maybe it would make me feel better if I saw her handwriting – help me believe it's really her."

"Did it work?"

"Yeah," Jon said. "She knows me pretty well."

"That she does," Matt chuckled. "So, are you going to write her back? I mean, _write_ her back?"

"I think I will. I should be able to scrounge up some paper around here somewhere."

"I tell you what – I'll probably find some in one of these old boxes," Matt laughed. "If I do, I'll drop that one off in your quarters as well."


	6. Chapter 6

_Dear Jennifer,_

_You were right - seeing your handwriting did make me feel better. Enough to wonder if seeing mine might not reassure you a little, too. So maybe we can do at least some of this the old-fashioned way, as Hawk called it when he saw your letter. Hand-writing a letter just feels more personal than typing or dictating one, anyway. I'll take whatever personal contact we can get right now._

_It's good to hear that you're getting a chance to rest and to heal. That just means you'll be back here with us – with me – that much faster. You're right – it's not the same as having a conversation, but it's the best we can do right now._

_Don't worry about us having a place to rest. It turns out that my father had a back-up plan of sorts. We're all safe and hidden again. It is nice to have someplace to call home, I'll admit that. Thought it would be better if we had you here to work some of the kinks out. Matt actually found a box of my dad's personal things in a storage closet. I haven't had a chance to go through them yet, though. One of these days when I have a spare minute…yeah, I know._

_So tell me a little more about Kelly. You mentioned her several times in your letter. It sounds like you've found a dependable friend, especially if she's willing to bring in reading material for you. The courier we've been dealing with is a friend of hers, apparently. When we see him, he's always willing to give us an update on you as best he can. He also said Kelly talks about you quite a bit, and that you two seem to have connected. It makes me feel better that you've found someone like that. See, you don't need us to be comfortable – you do just fine on your own. We miss you too, though. The guys are sending some letters along with mine so that maybe we can keep you from getting too bored. I think they want to hear from you almost as much as I do. Almost. Scout keeps complaining that no one is as good a sounding board for technical problems as you are, and I really think Tank misses your history discussions. Hawk mentioned the other day that it's not quite the same around here without your smile. I couldn't agree more. But, since we all were pretty sure we weren't going to see you smile ever again there for a little while, we're all willing to have you there where you can recover for a while so that you can come back to us._

_I'll go now and let you rest. I have night duty tonight, and I wanted to write this before I headed out there. It just seemed a little more personal to "talk" to you here in my quarters. I'll write as many times as I can before we meet the courier the next time._

_I love you,_

_Jon_

_Oh…about that game of chess? The one even slightly bright spot I can come up with for you being gone is that I at least have time to brush up on my strategies. Mentor's chess subroutines are going to get a workout._

"So, this captain of yours is pretty funny, huh?"

Jennifer looked up from re-reading Jon's letter with a grin. She had chuckled out loud at the idea of Jon brushing up on his chess skills with Mentor while on night duty. "Kind of. It's a bit of an..." What did Hawk call it? "An inside joke."

"Ah. Those are sometimes the best kind," Kelly smirked. "Tell me about him."

"Who? Jon?"

"No, the orderly who brings you your breakfast every morning. Yes, you goofball, Jon."

Jennifer sat back and thought for a moment as Kelly wrote some things on her chart. "He's serious most of the time – funny isn't really a word most people would choose to describe him. At least, not anyone who doesn't know him very well. He's dedicated to life – preserving it, protecting it. It doesn't leave a lot of time for fun. His father died when he was fifteen, and he's been fighting in his place ever since."

"That doesn't sound like a life that would lead to a lot of laughs," Kelly agreed.

"No," Jennifer agreed. "But when we were back at the base, and we had a few minutes to relax, he laughed a lot. We'd talk about everything – literature, games, things he did when he was younger…our missions, too, but we talked a lot about normal, everyday things. That's how we got to know each other better." She sat for a moment, lost in thought. "He listens. He doesn't judge, and he doesn't get upset. He just listens."

"That's an important quality to have in a significant other."

"Significant other?"

"You know, someone you're in a relationship with. It's an older term, I guess."

"I guess it fits – he _is_ significant to me," Jennifer said softly.

"The two of you haven't been at this for long, have you?" Kelly asked.

"No…why do you ask?"

"You're still a little shy when you talk about him," Kelly said with a knowing smile. "Let me guess…you two have been dancing around each other for a while, but you being hurt finally got you talking."

"Yes…and no," Jennifer said with a smile. "We actually started to talk about it, but we were interrupted. We never had a chance to go back to it. We were supposed to talk after we completed the mission, but it ended up being a trap."

"That explains a little," Kelly said.

"Explains what?"

"Mark was telling me last night that he hadn't seen anyone as torn up as your captain was when Mark arrived to bring you here. He expected to see this strong, confident Resistance captain and instead he saw someone who was on the verge of falling apart." Kelly saw the concern and guilt radiating from Jennifer's eyes and continued, sitting on the side of her patient's bed and laying a hand on hers. "But he also told me about the transformation he's seen in the captain the last few times he's met him. Mark says that now he sees that strong, confident, _dedicated_ man that we've all pictured Captain Power to be from all the stories we've heard about him. It's like he's a new person. The only thing we can think of is that your progress, and your letters, are the reason for that."

"I don't know –"

"And that's why I figured this was pretty new to you," Kelly went on. "You don't have any idea how much impact you have on him. Do you think he'd clear his schedule out once a week to meet Mark for just anyone?"

"He'd want word about any of his team that were hurt-" Jennifer began.

"But there's a difference between getting updates on a hurt team member – which he could send any of the other team members to do – and making sure that he's there in person, every week, to meet Mark and ask him questions about how you're doing." Jennifer blushed a little, and Kelly squeezed her hand. "I'm telling you, that man's got it bad for you. He tells you in his letters, I hope?" Jennifer nodded. "Well, there you go. I know what getting his letters has done for you – you need to realize that getting your letters gives him the same kind of boost. Trust me, if Mark can see that Power is head over heels for you, it's got to be real."

"What does that mean?" Jennifer laughed. She had noticed the frustrated expression that had crossed her new friend's face as she made that comment.

It was Kelly's turn to blush. "Let's just say he's not the most observant man in the universe," she said cryptically.

"How long have you and Mark known each other?" Jennifer asked, sensing there was more to it. "You seem to be pretty close."

Jennifer didn't miss the sigh that preceded Kelly's explanation. "Mark was my older brother's best friend when we were kids. He was at the house all the time – it was just him and his dad, and he got a kick out of the way my mom fussed over him. He was at our house more than he was at his own! I was ten when the world fell apart out there, which meant Mark was about 14. That day was so chaotic – there was no way of knowing who, if anyone, from home had survived. I hadn't heard anything about him until he got here a year or so ago. He saw me one day on the street – ran up and gave me this bear hug out of nowhere. I didn't even recognize him at first. He was so excited to see me…then he heard what had happened to my family."

"What did happen?" Jennifer prodded gently.

"They were gone," Kelly said simply. "I was the only one left. I have an aunt and uncle that I came here with, but my parents died in the attack on the town, and my brother died six years later. He was defending a settlement we were living in when the biomechs attacked. I thought Mark was going to collapse there on the street when he heard," she added softly. "He and Ben were brothers in every sense of the word." After a moment, she shook her head and seemed to pull herself back together. "He's been trying to be a surrogate big brother to me ever since – walking me home from my shifts, checking in on me several times a week. It gets a little annoying sometimes," she smiled.

Jennifer thought that maybe there was something else there. She hoped Kelly wouldn't mind if she prodded. "With as much as you talk about him, I thought at first that he was _your…_ significant other."

"What? Oh, no – we're just good friends," Kelly said brusquely. But this time the blush was much more pronounced. "He looks at me and sees a kid sister, I'm pretty sure."

"Is that ok with you?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Kelly asked, standing up and gathering her things.

"No reason…you just sounded like maybe it wasn't." Jennifer didn't want to make her new friend uncomfortable. "I'm sorry – I'm not always the greatest at reading people. It must come from being the only female on my team," she added, pulling from a comment Vi had made when she'd been visiting earlier. _I don't know how you made it all that time, being the only woman at that base. I think I'd have gone crazy. That many men are too much work to deal with on a daily basis._

Kelly stopped her nervous fiddling and smiled. "No, it's ok. At one point…I think I wanted there to be something else. I had this massive crush on him when I was a kid. But so much has changed. I'm just thankful for the fact that he's here, and he's safe. I couldn't ask for a better friend."

"I've come to realize that life would be pretty empty without good friends," Jennifer nodded.

At that, Kelly's smile became very genuine. "Yes, it would. And, though I wouldn't ever wish the injuries that you had on anyone, I'm very glad that I was on duty the day they brought you here. I have a feeling we're going to be very good friends." She was happy to see an equally genuine smile appear on Jennifer's face. "And, speaking of that, I was wondering if you'd like hang out for a while tomorrow."

"Isn't tomorrow your day off?" Jennifer had learned Kelly's schedule well. She missed the woman's teasing and joking terribly when she wasn't around.

"Yep. That's why I'll have lots of time, not just these short spurts. I was thinking of taking you on a tour outside. What do you think?"

Jennifer's eyes twinkled up at her. "Outside? You mean, they're going to let me get up and get out of this room for a while? I'd love to!"


	7. Chapter 7

_Dear Jon,_

_I laughed out loud when I read the end of that letter. I think Kelly thought I was losing it for a few minutes there. Don't burn Mentor's chess subroutine out! I'm going to have to find someone to practice on before I come home or I'll be rusty!_

_I've been outside. Kelly took me yesterday afternoon – she actually asked Mark to come in with her on her day off, help load me into a patient transport, and take me outside. Jon, it's amazing. I have no idea where we are, and I wouldn't put it in writing if I did. But it's…it's beyond words. I can't tell you anything more specific about the landscape…nothing can ever happen to leak the location of this place to Dread. But it's amazing. I can't wait to get back outside. It gives me some inspiration when I want to give up during therapy._

_Yes, I've started therapy. I'm glad – I'm glad to be doing SOMETHING. I'm so tired of lying in that bed. It'd be different if you or one of the guys were here. I'd be able to carry on a long-term conversation, or at least be able to help strategize or build something. Knowing that I have therapy scheduled every day at least breaks things up a bit. To be honest, it's some of the hardest work I've ever done. The damage to my muscles was pretty bad, I guess, and while they're healed I'm nowhere near strong. Between therapy and sitting up in that patient transport yesterday , I was so tired I slept all afternoon and through the night. But I feel a little stronger every day. My therapist's name is Sam, and he's really patient with me._

_Vi has started bringing me something to eat each day. I'm honestly not very hungry, seeing how I basically lay around for most of the day. But she sits and visits with me, and expects me to eat while she does. She mainly brings things with fresh fruit or vegetables, but she says she's going to start bringing things that Lottie (her cook) bakes because they're worried I'm not eating enough. Apparently, I have to be up to a certain weight before they'll even consider dismissing me from the hospital and just coming back for therapy._

_ I have a whole stack of books from Kelly to read sitting here on my table – some I've asked for, some she's decided I need to read. You're right. I think I've found a great friend. She's been so kind to me ever since I woke up, and we can always find something to talk about. I've been able to ask her questions when someone references something I don't understand. She hasn't asked yet why I don't know so much, but I think I'm going to try to explain things to her. Maybe I'll explain it then when there aren't so many people so close. Vi knows – I guess Hawk told her about me. I can ask her when I need to, as well._

_I should probably go, because they'll be here with a tray again soon, trying to get me to eat more. I love you. And I miss you terribly. There are days when I'm pretty lonely, and I just want to curl up in a ball and be miserable for a while. That's when I read one of your letters, or grab a new book, or get out some of the stationary that Kelly has brought me and write to you or to one of the others. Even this far away, you're all still taking care of me, whether you know it or not. What would I do without you?_

_They're here with my tray. I'll write again soon._

_Love,_

_Jennifer_

"Trying to get her to eat, huh?" Tank laughed as the four team members worked on the routine maintenance for the jumpship that Jennifer usually would have handled without thinking about. Jon had met Mark earlier that day, and he'd filled them in on some of the things she'd mentioned in the first letter he'd read. "They know she's always been a small fry, don't they?"

"I'm wondering more if they know we're not exactly falling over piles of food out here," Scout said, shaking his head. "She wasn't malnourished before she left or anything."

"No – but we could all probably do with putting on a few pounds," Matt said with a smile. "I can just picture Vi fussing over her, trying to get her to eat."

"I'd love to know what she saw out there," Jon said. "Green fields? Wildflowers? Clean water?"

"I don't know – Vi said they were heading north when we ran into them last year," Hawk pointed out. "It's February. Do you really think there's much in the way of wildflowers?"

"Who knows? Maybe they're under some kind of shielding system. That would explain how they'd hidden from Dread this long."

"I don't know – and we're not really getting any information from Jennifer to clear that mystery up, either," Scout pointed out. "She's playing by the rules. Good for her, though I admit I wanted to know what she saw, too," he added with a wink.

"I noticed Elzer asked about Pilot when we met up with him today," Tank said nonchalantly – though Jon missed the wink the older man sent the rest of the team.

Jon scowled a bit at the part he was inspecting – the others doubted he even knew he was doing it. "Yes, he did."

"They all knew that we were looking for help for her – we contacted everyone we knew," Hawk reminded him. "But I don't guess that Eden would want word to get out that they were a part of this. What did you end up telling him? "

"That we found an answer, and that she was healing, but that it would be a while before she was on missions with us again," Jon said simply.

"Oh…I thought you two talked for longer than that," Hawk observed.

Jon scowled again and attacked the bolt he was trying to loosen with a little more force than necessary. "He wanted me to tell her that he hoped she was back on her feet quickly…and that he looked forward to seeing her again soon."

"And what was your response to that?"

"I told him I'd let her know."

The other three couldn't help but laugh out loud now. "So, that explains why Elzer looked so confused when we left. I think he was trying to figure out why Captain Power was suddenly so…disgruntled," Scout said in an attempt at an innocent tone.

Jon looked up at their laughter, realizing that he'd been set up. "Go ahead, laugh all you want. You won't be laughing when you're on KP duty for the next two weeks," he said with mock seriousness. He couldn't quite keep the corners of his mouth from twitching upwards, however.

"I think I need to head to storage to get a few parts," Scout said quickly. "Anyone want to come along?"

"I'll help you out," Tank said, standing up and stretching. "These old bones can only stay cramped up around an engine for so long."

After the two of them had left the hangar, Hawk decided it was as good a time as any to bring up something that had been bothering him for a little while. "You know, Elzer wasn't all that bad. After all, she did save his life – it's normal for him to inquire about her after that."

"I know," Jon sighed. "I'm not usually quite that…touchy."

"Everything about this is new for you, Jon," his friend reassured him. "I figured that was part of what took you and Jennifer so long to figure this out in the first place."

"That was part of it," Jon agreed. "How do you have a relationship in the middle of a war? It's not like normal rules apply."

"There were dating rules? Why didn't I know that?" Seeing that he'd succeeded in getting Jon to smile, Hawk went on. "No – you'll have to figure things out for yourself. Just like you're doing now – you've managed to stay in touch, with Davis's help, even though you're so far apart. All of us can see what it does for you to hear from her. You're like a kid on Christmas morning when we meet him to get Jennifer's letters," he teased gently, glad to see that it produced a smile from Jon this time instead of a grimace. "And from what Davis has told us, she's pretty much the same way. You'll figure it out all over again once she gets home. There is one thing I wanted to talk to you about…" Matt wasn't sure how to proceed, but Jon looked at him, concerned, when he didn't go on.

"What is it?"

"When Pilot _does_ get back, and you two figure out your new normal, you're going to have to be careful. We _weren't_ careful back at the Passages because we didn't care – we just wanted to get her well. But it was pretty obvious how you two felt about each other. I was actually pretty surprised today by Elzer's comments, because I've fielded questions from other leaders. Cypher asked me just the other day how you were holding up with Pilot gone. I thought the rumor mill would have gotten back to Elzer by now."

"The rumor mill?" Jon had put down the tools in his hands and was giving Matt his full attention at this point. "What are you talking about?"

"Jon, Cypher knew you and Jennifer had feelings for each other. Granted, he told me he'd noticed a few things the past few times we've all been together, so it had started before Christmas. But you're going to have to be careful. Like I said, no one was hiding anything at the Passages, and I know some of the people we work with in the Resistance realized that you had a personal stake in finding someone to save Jennifer. People figure things out…and people talk. The more people talk, the more chances there are that someone we don't want to hear about it _will_ hear. If Dread gets wind that you have feelings for each other –"

"He'll do everything he can to use it against us," Jon sighed. "I know, Matt. Just by being with me, she's in more danger. And that's on top of the fact that she's a 'traitor to the machine,' and a member of my team." Jon stared at his hands for a moment. "That's one of the reasons I put off admitting anything to her in the first place."

"Hey – I'm not saying it can't work," Matt said quickly. "There's no way I'd tell you not to be with her because of this – I'm just making sure that you realize that you'll have to be careful. When we're outside this base, you're going to have to be…discreet."

"What, no holding hands while shooting biomechs?" Jon joked. "I know, Matt. But it's not like we were doing anything like that before, and Cypher figured it out on his own. I don't think I can completely hide it –"

"No one would expect that of you, Jon. And I still think that the casual observer would have no idea what's going on. I just wanted to be sure you were thinking about it. I wanted to be sure you knew to be careful. Once you get her back here, we don't want anyone targeting her again for a little while." Wanting to lighten the mood, Matt shifted gears. "Although, it seems like you might want to be a _little_ obvious around Elzer. That man has had his eye on her ever since the Freedom One incident. Jennifer never even noticed him, but…you might just want to be sure he, well, gets the picture."

Matt was glad to see the small smile that appeared on Jon's face as he pondered just how to communicate the idea.


	8. Chapter 8

"So?"

Jennifer looked up into Kelly's expectant face as her therapist, Sam, wheeled her back to her room. "I did it," she said proudly, though her face showed the kind of exhaustion she had previously only associated with grueling, multiple-day missions.

"Yes!" Kelly cheered.

"Not only did she stand up, but she took several steps – and would have kept going if I hadn't made her rest," Sam added, a bit of a scold in his voice. He bent down so that his graying head was level with his patient's as he continued to report to Kelly. "I threatened to keep her in her bed all day tomorrow if she didn't slow down. That's all we need is for you to overdo yourself, Corporal. You want to be able to get out of that bed for good, sweetheart? Then remember – baby steps."

Jennifer gave him a mock salute. "Yes, sir." She sighed dramatically. "You're such a task master."

"Well, you need to listen to the voice of experience. I've seen too many of you Resistance fighters that are used to pushing the limits end up in bed for extra weeks with secondary injuries because they've pushed themselves too hard. _My_ patients do not end up like that," he told her firmly. "_Baby steps."_

"Baby steps," Jennifer agreed, leaning back and closing her eyes. She was really tired. "But I did it," she said with a soft smile.

Sam couldn't help but smile back at her. "Yes, you did. You're quite the fighter. Not many with injuries like yours would have come so far so fast. That captain of yours must be something worth getting home for." He laughed as the blush crept up her face.

"Ahh, you found her motivator," Kelly chuckled.

"I knew there had to be something. No one works this hard without one – especially not anyone who's not planning on enjoying a nice, long, peaceful life here in Eden." Sam shook his head. "I don't get it."

"I know…I get that a lot from the people around here," Jennifer admitted.

"He must be something," Sam repeated, and the fact that Jennifer's face turned two more shades of red just prompted him and Kelly to laugh even harder.

"Come on, you. Vi left enough food to feed five people in there – she said she couldn't stay today, and since your therapy session went a little longer than usual she just left it for you. Said she'd be back tomorrow. So I told her that I'd be more than happy to hang out here with you after my shift and share it with you," Kelly said brightly.

"Oooh…sounds good. Too bad I've got plans with the missus, or I'd join you ladies," Sam said. "Have fun. I'll see you tomorrow, Jennifer. And get some rest!" he added firmly.

Both women waved goodbye to him as Kelly wheeled Jennifer back into her room. Jennifer saw that two plates full of food had been set on her table, and there was still food in the containers Vi had brought. "Oh my goodness, did she think she was feeding an army?"

"I think she planned on giving Mark the leftovers," Kelly said as she closed the door behind them. "She said he's always trying to sneak in to Lottie's kitchen to pilfer something when he drops newcomers off at her place. And she knows he'll be coming by to get your letters tonight, since he's heading out tomorrow." Kelly tried to ignore the look she was getting from Jennifer, but her friend was stubborn. Kelly sighed and gave up. "Fine…He might've said something about walking me home again," she admitted as she lowered the bed to help Jennifer maneuver into it. "Stupid man. He knows darn well that I can get home on my own."

"Maybe he just wants an excuse to spend some time with you," Jennifer said, watching her friend closely. Kelly just snorted.

"Yeah. More likely that he just thinks I'll get lost on the way home. You know – poor, pitiful female and all."  
>"Now, I know he's a bit…traditional," Jennifer began, trying to defend Mark.<p>

"He's almost archaic," Kelly said dryly. "The man apparently thinks I'm some damsel in distress – like I haven't been walking home on my own for years."

"Hmmm…still seems to me like he maybe just wants to see you," Jennifer said slyly once she was finally settled in bed and it was raised to its normal height.

"Yeah…be quiet and eat," Kelly said simply, changing the subject for good. The two looked at each other and chuckled, then settled in to enjoy their meal. Jennifer had to admit that since she'd started therapy, her appetite had increased a bit and she actually looked forward to mealtimes. But this was a treat. She and Kelly usually only got to visit for the short periods of time that the nurse was checking in on her. Uninterrupted conversation like this only came when Kelly spent her time off with her new friend.

"So, you pushed yourself until you did it," Kelly drawled, though her eyes danced as she tried to scold.

"Yes, I did," Jennifer said proudly. "I told you I wanted to try…it just took a bit of convincing to get Sam to let me. Of course, now I'm pretty wiped out," Jennifer admitted.

"But you did it," Kelly smiled at her.

"I did. I never thought I'd be proud of myself just for taking a few steps, but I really am," Jennifer admitted.

"You should be – Jen, we didn't even think you were going to make it for three days," Kelly insisted. "You don't remember that, I know, but I sure do."

"I know, I know. I'm just not used to this. I mean, I've been injured before, but not to this extent."

"Weren't you ever sick? I know medical care out there isn't the greatest."

Jennifer shook her head. She took a deep breath, then continued. "I've caught a few things, but nothing major. The Youth are inoculated against any known diseases. Being sick made us less efficient."

Kelly had been making conversation on one of their walks outside one afternoon when she'd asked how Jennifer had become a member of the Power Team. It had been a leap of faith, but Jennifer had told her the entire story. At the end, she braced herself for the possibility that Kelly would not want anything to do with her now that she knew. To her relief, Kelly's response had been to ask some interesting questions – proving that she'd been listening, and that she wanted to know more about her new friend's past. Jennifer had been so relieved that she'd answered almost all of Kelly's questions completely, something she hadn't ever really done with anyone but Jon.

"Ah – hadn't thought about that," Kelly mused. "I suppose Dread wouldn't want you snotting all over his precious computer terminals."

The idea made Jennifer laugh. "No, I think that would be frowned upon." She took a bite of the casserole Vi had left, regarding her friend as she ate. "You know, it's odd for me to be joking about this with someone besides one of my teammates."

Kelly had noticed that Jennifer had seemed to be a little cautious when talking with her ever since she'd shared her story. It was almost as if the woman was waiting for a judgment. Kelly knew it was time to make sure Jennifer knew where she stood. "Yeah, I bet you don't share that particular bit of your history with everyone, do you?" she began. "Hey – I know you _now_. I'm glad you trusted me enough to tell me, but the person you used to be isn't sitting here with me right now. Plus, I'm pretty impressed that you've come so far. I don't know if I'd have been able to do what you did. I sure haven't heard of anyone else who has. In other words," she continued shrewdly, "I'm not going anywhere…so you can stop waiting for me to." Jennifer grinned guiltily at her. Kelly knew, however, that her reaction wouldn't be the same as everyone else's. "Unfortunately, I can also understand why you haven't told everyone. I don't think you'd get the same reaction out of all people."

"No, trust me - I haven't. I'm actually surprised no one had figured it out…when I first joined the team, people knew by looking at me."

"A lot of people here at the hospital have been in Eden for a while," Kelly told her. "What happens out there is not quite as raw for us as it is to some of the newcomers. That might have something to do with it."

The two women continued to talk, and when they were almost finished with their meal they heard a knock at the door. "He's dependable - I'll give him that," Kelly sighed with a smile. Sure enough, Mark came through the door, shutting it behind him. "Good evening, ladies. Your friendly neighborhood letter carrier has arrived." He stopped and sniffed the air appreciatively. "That is not hospital food that I smell," he said, grinning. "Vi's been here, hasn't she?" He rubbed his hands together with anticipation.

Jennifer laughed. "Apparently, your stomach has a reputation. She brought enough for you, too."

_Dear Jon,_

_More progress in therapy - I managed to walk across the room, completely on my own! I can't believe I'm so excited about something so simple, but I did it! Sam says I'm quite the "little soldier." He had decided that there must be something special waiting for me at home because I'm working so hard. He found out about you, so now he's teasing me a bit about "my captain back home." See, the staff here thinks I'm a bit unusual – I'm known as the only person who doesn't want to stay here. Several of them don't quite understand that._

_Kelly keeps coming around to see me, even on her days off, even though I was able to explain everything to her the other day when we she was walking me around outside. She didn't look at me any different, despite hearing the whole story. When I thanked her for not reacting badly, she looked at me like I was a little crazy. She told me that was what friends were for – it was that simple to her. I don't know what I'd do without her. We're a lot alike. She's got a stubborn streak about her that you'd probably find pretty familiar. Mark teases her and says that she'll tell him no even if she wants to say yes, just because she's annoyed with him. It's probably a really good thing we get along, because we could do some damage if we didn't! Speaking of Mark, he's started to visit me pretty regularly, too. He was just giving or getting my letters through Kelly, but he says if he comes to see me he can give you a personal report of how I'm doing when he manages to see you on his runs. Personally, I think it's an excuse to see Kelly. She's always on duty when he drops by, and it's usually towards the end of her shift. So he'll sit and visit with me for a while, and she'll come in to say goodbye (like she always does) and find him there. Then he'll offer to walk her home, or grab something to eat. But when I asked her about him the other day, she insisted he's just a dear friend. She wouldn't look me in the eye, though. I'm pretty good at telling when people are avoiding telling me the truth, and I'm pretty sure she is. It's interesting to watch them. I have to wonder - were we like that? It feels like a similar situation to me. But when I watch them, I wonder how they don't figure it out for themselves. I'm not complaining about having another visitor, though. I've enjoyed getting to know Mark. And I love hearing about you and the others first hand._

_I've started to gain a little weight thanks to Vi. She introduced me to chocolate. Oh, my goodness! I guess it's not very easy to get, even here, but she brought me chocolate chip cookies the other day. They were still warm from the oven (the only way to eat them, she said, though I disagreed because I could've eaten them all day – and I did have the three she left me as the day went on). Kelly joked that Vi is only allowed to come in on days she's on duty, because I never eat everything Vi brings and this way she can "help" me along by snacking with me on her breaks. If I can keep this up, plus keep progressing in therapy, there's a chance I can be dismissed from the hospital in a few weeks and move down to Vi's to finish my recovery. She's close to the hospital – Kelly pointed out her place when we were out one day – so that I could still get back and forth for therapy easily._

_And I've finally found something else to do with my day besides read! I told Sam that I was going stir-crazy in bed all day, and he asked me what types of things I would do at home when I was injured and couldn't go out with the team. Yesterday he brought me a few hand scanners that some of the staff here uses that were acting up and a small tool kit. It's not much, but at least I feel useful again. Kelly says I'll need to be careful or people all over the hospital will be bringing me things to fix. I told her I couldn't be that lucky!_

_I'm actually starting to nod off as I write this, so I should probably stop for today. It's funny – I know you're not here to talk to in person, but I guess since writing to you is as close as I can get, I don't want to stop. I don't want to say goodnight. But I'm going to be the "good little soldier" again and get some rest. _

_I love you,_

_Jennifer_


	9. Chapter 9

_Dear Jennifer,_

_I love hearing that you're making such great progress in therapy. I just hate knowing that I'm not there physically to cheer you on! Thank Sam for me for being there for you. And tell him that your captain is just as anxious to have you back here as you are. Mark told us you should be dismissed any day now – I can't wait to read that in your letters, since that means you're closer to coming home._

_Scout is pretty jealous of your chocolate chip cookies. Actually, most of us are. We had an argument the other day about whose mom's cookies were the best. Tank just shook his head at us – not many cookies around at Babylon 5. So we decided that someday he's going to have to try them. I'm glad you're getting to try things like that…_

Jennifer smiled as she read Jon's letter. She was waiting for Vi to come and take her back to her place, where Jennifer would stay until the doctors deemed her ready to resume her duties on the outside. The few possessions that she'd managed to collect while at the hospital - mostly her letters - were in a small bag sitting next to her on the bed. She'd been ready for a while now, and had decided to let herself read another one of Jon's letters to pass the time. Now she was sitting there imagining her team having a good-natured argument about treats that they hadn't had in years. All except Tank, that is. She thought warmly of her friend whose background was similar in some ways to hers. Tank had missed out on a lot of things in his life, as well - even things as simple as chocolate chip cookies. She wished Tank could try them.

Well...If Mark could bring letters back and forth…

"All ready to go, I see." Vi was at the door to Jennifer's room, smiling at the sight of her already completely dressed and waiting.

"Yes, ma'm." She eyed Vi for a moment, still thinking about Tank, and then decided to just ask. "Do you think Lottie would do me a favor?"

"Good afternoon, Captain," Mark called out as he came around the corner of an abandoned building. Their latest rendezvous point was a former settlement in what had been Nevada.

"Mark. Good to see you." Jon reached out and clasped the man's hand with the arm not in a sling.

"You look a little worse for wear," Mark commented, watching him limp towards a crumbling wall and sit down gingerly.

"We delivered a little surprise to Dread…unfortunately, he surprised us back a bit. We hurt him, though – hurt him pretty well."

"Good to hear." He glanced up as Scout and Tank exited the Jumpship. "Gentlemen," he said in greeting. He waited, expecting to see Hawk following them, and was surprised that he wasn't. "Major Masterson not with you today?"

"You think this one looks bad, you should see Hawk," Tank said. "Old man thought he could take on Soaron and several drones on his own…he's back home in the regenerator."

"Ouch. Nothing serious, I hope."

"We got him home and treated before anything got too bad," Scout said. "He's just going to be staying put for a while."

"Glad to hear it. I'd hate to go back and tell Pip that he's seriously injured...not to mention Vi."

Jon looked at him strangely. "Pip?"

Mark laughed. "Yeah…it's kind of my nickname for your corporal."

Jon looked confused. "It's an odd nickname."

"There's a story behind it," Mark assured him, sitting himself down on a nearby pile of rock. "See, the first time Kelly took her outside the hospital, she asked me to come and help her make sure she could get Jennifer into the transport on her own. I teased Kelly about needing help, since Jennifer was such a pipsqueak." He saw the incredulous looks on their faces, and chuckled. "Yeah, the corporal wasn't very impressed with the term, once I explained it to her. Got pretty riled up, actually, or as riled up as she could get at the time. So, of course, I had to keep calling her that," he grinned. "Shortened it to Pip…and it's kinda stuck."

Scout whistled low, and Jon just shook his head. "I can't believe she's letting you get away with that."

"I'm a bit bigger than she is, Captain. Besides, she knows that it was just to get a rise out of her at first. Now it's just habit, though she still argues with me from time to time."

"You do know that she's taken down Dread soldiers your size – or larger – in hand-to-hand combat?" Tank asked.

Mark laughed…until he realized that they weren't joking. He might not be Tank's size, but he was a pretty big guy. "My size? Pip? Come on. There's no way."

"Hawk told you the first day we met you not to judge her by her size," Jon said with a gleam in his eye. "Ever heard the saying, 'small but mighty'?"

"Well, I know she's got a temper on her that's twice as big as she is," Mark said with a grin. "I've had to learn when to call a truce with her."

"That's not the only thing you'd have to worry about if you weren't on her side. No offense, but if it came down a match between the two of you? I'd be betting on Jennifer," Jon grinned.

Mark looked at him, surprised, but decided to let it go. "Think about this - you know how bad she is on her own. When she gets Kelly in on it, she gets even worse. Those two together are a force to be reckoned with, Captain."

"She's mentioned that they're pretty similar," Jon said.

"You could say that again." Mark reached into his pack and pulled out several readers and a stack of letters. "Here's the mail this week. She's doing really well, Captain. Lately, she's been up and out of bed a lot of the time, which was driving Kell nuts. She was back to contemplating strapping Pip into her bed. But the good news is that the Corporal's moving into Vi's today – maybe even as we speak. My guess is it'll only be a month or so until I'll be bringing her back."

"Now that is some good news," Jon beamed. He handed Mark his letters, and the others passed over a set of readers too.

"As much as I'm enjoying the visit, gentlemen, I need to get going. Richards will be getting antsy. But before I do, these are for you as well, compliments of Vi and Lottie." He tossed a package to Tank as he backed away and gave them all a wave. "Pip said to give them to you, Tank. Next week's coordinates are in the letters again. Take care, Captain."

Jon sat for a moment after Mark had left, reveling in the fact that Jennifer had finally been dismissed from the hospital. He wondered briefly how she would adjust to living at Vi's. Would she be comfortable there? Would it be easier for her to stay busy? He couldn't help the grin that was growing on his face. They were even closer to getting her back…nothing that had happened in the last few months had made him feel close to this happy. He looked up and saw Tank beginning to unwrap the package Mark had tossed him. He stood up carefully and walked over to the other two, curious as to what the gift was.

As the last few layers of packaging were exposed, Scout sniffed the air. "Wait – is that what I think it is?"

Jon's eyes widened. "It couldn't be!"

"I'd know that aroma anywhere, Captain," Scout assured him as Tank finally unearthed a pile of chocolate chip cookies. "I don't believe it!"

Jon laughed out loud. Leave it to Jennifer to make sure Tank didn't miss out on something she'd discovered. "Wait till Hawk sees those. He'll think we've given him too much pain medication."

Jennifer eased quietly down the stairs of Vi's boarding house in the early morning. She'd been raised an early riser – you only got the sleep that was necessary in the Youth – and it was a habit she hadn't bothered to try to break. Besides, by heading downstairs this early she hoped to grab a quiet breakfast from Lottie without having to deal with the other boarders.

It wasn't that she didn't want to be around people – she just didn't quite know what to say to these people who had come to Eden to make a new life. She had tried making some small talk with them during the two days she'd been there, but conversation had inevitably swirled around to either where she was from (she was running out of things to say that weren't outright lies, but also weren't Volcania…that, she knew, would be a conversation killer) or what she was planning on doing with herself now that she was here in Eden. At the hospital, it was common knowledge that she wasn't planning on staying. Here, she felt like she was trying to explain her reasons for leaving to everyone Mark and the other couriers brought with them. And at the hospital everyone had something they had to do or someplace to go. It had made her a bit lonely, but it had given her some privacy. Here at Vi's, many people – especially the newest arrivals – seemed to have a good deal of time on their hands as they got acclimated and decided what they'd be doing. She had the distinct feeling that a few of them had put off deciding on anything just so they could enjoy a little vacation…not that she could blame them, really, but she had trouble empathizing with them. She'd had more than her share of having nothing to do, and she didn't understand people who actually enjoyed the sensation.

She could tell, however, that getting up early hadn't worked that morning. As she walked down the hall she could hear voices coming from the dining area. She paused in the hall and let herself groan quietly, then steeled herself. After all, she didn't need much to eat – just enough to keep her going and pacify Lottie, whom she knew would be watching her like a hawk, as always. Then she could bury herself in some of the repairs that Vi had given her to do. She straightened her shoulders and walked around the corner into the room.

"Good morning, Jennifer!" Lottie's ever-cheerful face greeted her warmly from where she stood, visiting with three people at one end of the long table. "You've got some company this morning. It seems like we have a few other early risers."

Jennifer put on what she hoped passed for a friendly smile as Lottie handled introductions. "Shawn, this is Corporal Jennifer Chase. Jennifer, this is Shawn Barton, and his grandchildren, Hannah and Max."

The man that stood to shake her hand was taller than she was, but Jennifer knew that wasn't saying much. He probably wasn't much taller than about 5 foot 5, and his grey hair was cut close to his head. "Good morning, Corporal. It's good to meet you."

"You too, Mr. Barton. Did you arrive yesterday?"

"Yes, we did –"

"We came on a transport. It took us forever to get to it. Then we had to hide for days before it got there. But when we got in, it was so fast! And we had to stay inside a little room so we couldn't see where we were going. We didn't have anything to do. It was really boring. But it's really amazing here! I can't wait to go outside –"

"Max!" Barton held a hand up to his grandson who, to Jennifer's amazement, hadn't even taken a breath during his excited little speech. "Excuse us, Corporal Chase. We've been running and hiding for a long time, and we don't always remember our manners." He looked meaningfully at the small, thin, red-headed boy who couldn't have been more than four or five years old. Max's mouth closed and his eyes flickered downward. His sister tugged on his arm – Max had gotten up on his knees in his chair as he'd spoken – so that he would sit down. Jennifer saw that she looked to be several years older than her brother – maybe eight or nine? She wasn't very good at estimating children's ages, not having much experience with them. Hannah's eyes never left the plate in front of her.

"It's not a problem. It's an exciting place." The smile Jennifer gave Max was genuine this time – somehow, she couldn't help it. She was rewarded with an ear-to-ear grin that lit up the boy's entire face.

"Yes, well…still." Jennifer noticed that Barton's face seemed drawn and tired. "Hopefully, once we get a chance to settle down, we'll be a little more polite."

"I really don't mind. I hope that you enjoy it here, Max. You too, Hannah. There's an awful lot to see." She helped herself to breakfast and surprised herself a bit by settling down near the little family.

"We should get to see a little more of it today," Barton said, glancing down the table as if to be sure he hadn't been too harsh with his grandson. "We'll need to get these two signed up for school, and I need to see about getting myself a job somewhere." He sighed and picked up his coffee cup, though he didn't actually drink out of it. He wrapped his hands around the outside of it, seeming to draw comfort from its warmth.

"Do you know what type of job you'll look for?" Lottie asked conversationally.

"Well…a long time ago, I owned a bookstore. I could probably work at any type of store."

"Vi can steer you towards several of those," Jennifer assured him. "She knows most of the merchants in the area."

"I'd appreciate that. I'll talk to her after we've eaten."

"Speaking of that, my coffee cake is probably about done," Lottie said, heading back towards the door to the kitchen. She paused before pushing it open, glancing back at the two children sitting silently at the table. "Anyone care to help me check on it?"

Both Hannah and Max's heads popped up at once. At the word 'cake,' Max's head had snapped up, and now he jumped down to follow Lottie immediately. But Hannah managed to catch her little brother's arm and waited, looking uncertainly at her grandfather. But Barton was staring into his coffee cup again, not noticing. Jennifer cleared her throat quietly, nodding slightly at the children when Barton glanced up at her.

"Oh – yes, of course. As long as they won't be any trouble," he said, looking at Lottie.

"They won't be any trouble at all, Mr. Barton," Lottie assured him, smiling warmly at the two children as they followed her into the kitchen.

Barton sighed once they were gone. "Thanks for the heads-up," he said. "I'm afraid I was a bit preoccupied."

"That's understandable – you have a lot to deal with right now," Jennifer assured him.

"Yes…but I'm afraid I'm not quite used to having them on my own just yet. My son…their father, he was killed a few weeks ago. We'd been moving towards the location we'd been given to meet up with the Eden courier and ran into a platoon of Dread's robots. David…he sent the children and I on and distracted them. He never made it back to us."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Barton." Jennifer had heard plenty of sad stories while working with Jon and the team, but she never seemed to get any better at knowing what to say.

"It's just that…well, I don't always know what to say to them. Or _how_ to say it. Or the patience for any of it. David was great at it – he'd been on his own with them for a while. We'd lost track of each other for a time, but when I found him and the children again, and we decided to head here, I thought we were going to make it. Now…now I have those two to look after, and support. I have to find a job, I have to find us a place to stay –"

"Vi will let you stay as long as you need to, Mr. Barton."

"Please – it's Shawn," he said, smiling at her for the first time. "I know she will – we're lucky to have found her. I just want to get things in order. I want them to have a childhood, like their father had." He shook his head, and finally took a sip of his coffee, closing his eyes momentarily as he did. "Oh, that tastes good. It's been so long since I've had a real, hot cup of coffee." He opened his eyes again. "I'm sorry, Corporal – I've been almost as thoughtless as Max. I didn't mean to burden you."

"It's not a burden," she assured him. If nothing else, Barton at least didn't seem quite as sad. "It's hard to start out new anywhere."

"Yes, I guess at least we have that – everyone here probably started out as a newcomer. What about you? Military, judging from your rank. However, you're quite a bit too young to have served in the Metal Wars." Just then, Max and Hannah returned, each holding two plates of warm, sweet-smelling coffee cake. Hannah shyly smiled at Jennifer as she placed one in front of her. Max almost tumbled into his grandfather's arms as he tripped over a chair in his eagerness to bring Barton his treat, but the older man steadied him in time to save his breakfast.

Jennifer simply smiled. Though she had been dreading making conversation earlier that morning, she seemed to have lost that feeling as she got to know this little family. "I'm a member of a Resistance team. I've been here recuperating for a few months…"


	10. Chapter 10

_Dear Jon,_

_I know Mark probably told you, but I've been dismissed from the hospital – I came to Vi's the same day Mark left with the transport. It's so nice to be somewhere where people aren't poking at me all day long! And I can get up and do whatever I need to on my own, without getting into trouble for doing too much. Well…usually I can. It depends on how closely Vi is watching me (Kelly and Sam made her promise to). But the best part is that I don't have to stay in bed all day. Vi's set me up with an area in an old shed where I can putter around and make some repairs on some things that she's had laying around the house. It's a little different being around the other boarders, but I'm managing. A few of them have been very friendly._

_Kelly brought me an old music player she found. She figured it would keep me busy for a little while as I repaired it, and then I could use it to listen to some of the music she's been bringing me. Some of what she's brought me to listen to makes me think of you guys. What an amazing collection they've come up with here! Between the books that they've reproduced from copies people have brought with them and the music and cultural files that they have here (again, copies of things people managed to save and bring here with them), I think your father would be pleased. You always told me about how he wanted to preserve what we were losing to Dread. They've done that here. When the war is over and humans can do things other than hide again, everyone will be able to share all of this._

_Mark told me that the last time he saw you you looked a little worse for wear – arm in a sling, and walking with a limp. You have to take care of yourself while I'm gone, now. He did say that it had been a major victory, though he wasn't sure of all the details. But I still don't like hearing about you being hurt. And he said that Hawk was the only one not with you that day because of his injuries. He's getting an earful in his letters, too – and that's not counting Vi, who has taken to asking Mark if he saw Hawk or not on his trips as well. I'm sure she's heard about it by now. So…please, be safe. I know you can't promise me that you won't get hurt, but the whole point of you being my reason to come home is that you'll be there, you know._

_And speaking of Mark? He and Kelly finally figured things out between them. Kelly tells me he just grabbed her and kissed her one night after he walked her home. And she seems to think that he might have had some encouragement from you. Anything you want to tell me, Captain?_

_Love you,_

_Jennifer_

_L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L_

_Dear Jennifer,_

_Don't worry about me. You've spent days on end in a regenerator, had months of physical therapy, and spent two months in a hospital - and you're worried about me having a strained shoulder and a leg wound? We did score a major victory, though…that I can't tell you about in a letter, just in case. But it's a big step towards going on the offensive, instead of just the defensive the way we have been. I've missed you even more as we made our plans. I could've used your solid logic and tactical skills on this. It's not just me who misses you – our team isn't complete. We've all felt it. Even Mentor has made comments about how we're not quite the same without you. He's actually made some suggestions about ways we can make you more comfortable when you get here! See, even he "misses" you._

_How is the walk back to the hospital every day? It's not too much for you, is it? As much as I want you to keep improving, I don't want you to go too quickly and have a setback. Mark seemed to think that, if everything went well, you'd have about another month of therapy before they release you to come home. That's less than we've done already – I can do that!_

_Me? Have something to say to Mark? Well…maybe. I just was thinking about your last few letters, and about how they seem to be dancing around the subject of "them." All I could think about was how I kept putting off talking to you. I kept telling myself that there was plenty of time for us to talk to each other, to be with each other. Last December changed that. I almost didn't get the chance at all. The thought that someone else might experience that…well, I didn't want that to happen. I made sure I went to meet Mark on my own last week, and as I left I thanked him for keeping you company, and for getting our letters back and forth. Because for that short amount of time I thought you were gone, I believed I'd never have a chance to let you know how I felt. I told him that I've learned that none of us ever know how much time we have, especially now, and I'm not going to waste a single second of it. He looked at me long and hard, and shook my hand and thanked me. Then he took off. I thought that maybe, from the look in his eyes when he shook my hand, that he'd understood. I'm glad that he did. So, yes, I might've had a hand in it. What can I say? They're doing what I can't right now – standing by you, supporting you, and making sure you're getting better every day. I had to thank them somehow._

_We have to make a run to the Passages to bring them some supplies, so I'll let you rest now. Hopefully, you'll be making these supply runs with us soon!_

_I love you,_

_Jon_


	11. Chapter 11

"So this is where you hide out all day long."

Mark looked up from the engine he was servicing to see Jennifer standing there. "Pip! Hey – how you holdin' up now that you've been sprung?"

"It's wonderful," she smiled at him. "I don't have anyone looking over my shoulder every minute of the day."

"I find that hard to believe, with Vi and Lottie there with you," he said in disbelief.

"Trust me, they're nothing compared to the hospital. Yes, they're still trying to feed me three helpings of everything, and Vi keeps commenting about how I look like I could use a nap, but it's still much, much better."

"How are you doing with the other boarders? Have you met many of them?"

She grimaced. "A little. Honestly, I've been eating a few meals with Vi and Lottie in the kitchen…it's a little overwhelming." She was turning slowly as she spoke, taking the hangar in. "Although, a family is staying there now – a man and his two grandchildren – and Max and Hannah have been keeping me company. They won't start school for a day or two, and Vi says they've 'taken a liking to me.' Anyway, I wondered if I could borrow a tool…"

He looked up as her voice trailed away – she was looking around at the hangar almost longingly. He knew from talking to her that she was a pilot and a mechanic at heart. From some of the stories she'd told him about her escapades with the Power team, he really wanted to see her in the air someday. "So are you staying busier now that you're out?" he prompted her.

"Yes, actually. Vi has an old shed out in the yard that she's letting me use as a little workshop. She has quite a few things that need repaired, and I don't exactly want to take over the dining room table to do it." Her eyes focused on the ship he was working on. "Is that your ship?" she asked.

"Yep, this is her," Mark said proudly. "She's a good girl – gets plenty of folks here to safety each week. Not to mention your letters," he added, his voice dropping. She smiled up at him for a moment, but then went back to looking the ship over. He watched as she circled it slowly, taking in all the details she could. "Wanna see inside?" he asked her.

"I'd love to," she said eagerly. She followed him as he opened the hatch and made his way into the cockpit. She whistled low. "You've got some pretty nice bells and whistles here," she commented.

"She's pretty well tricked out." When she looked at him, questioning, he laughed. "It's an old saying – it means she's got just about everything you can ask for."

"You can say that again. Is this a shield modulator?" The next few minutes passed as they discussed all the capabilities of Mark's ship. He couldn't help but notice how her fingers seemed to linger on the controls.

"Makes you miss your ship, huh?" he asked, understanding in his voice.

"Yeah…she's not as fancy as this one, though," Jennifer said with a smile. "And this one feels a little cramped in comparison…" her voice trailed off as she thought. "Actually, this ship is _much_ smaller than the jump ship…what's her engine capacity?"

When Mark told her, Jennifer shook her head. "Then how does she run a cloaking device? There's no way your engines have the energy to spare."

Mark smiled. "You forget that we're a little ahead of you guys in here. We have the time to devote to developing new technologies – the advanced regenerators, ways to amend the soil, faster methods of growing plants – and better ways to use energy. We've had to work hard to get the most we can out of a small amount of energy to keep from being detected all these years. And there's no way we could do what we're doing to bring people in – get them away from Dread – without a cloaking device. But we also don't have room here for a fleet of massive ships. We had to keep working until we figured out how to accommodate a cloaking device on our smaller ships."

"But the Resistance has been working on this for years – no one has come close!"

"Pip, the Resistance has to split its time between developing new technologies and just _surviving_. We've got the surviving thing taken care of, so we can devote more time to the rest of it." He watched Jennifer as he spoke. He could almost see the wheels turning in her head. "What's going on in that head of yours, huh?"

"Mark, you don't understand what this could mean for the Resistance…None of us have this type of capability. When we're en route to help someone, we have to keep constant watch for Soaron or some other toy of Dread's. Sometimes we don't make it to the eventual destination because we're either too damaged, or we've wasted so much fuel getting away from whatever threat we've run into that we can't make it to the original coordinates, at least not without enough fuel to get back again." She shook her head. "It's unbelievable that this technology even exists." She fixed him with a blazing look. "Mark, you've got to let me construct one of these. I can modify it to fit the jump ship's specifications, get it out to the guys. The difference this could make –"

"Whoa, Pip, hold it right there." Mark's hands were up in front of him "I…uh…You don't have the jump ship's schematics with you-"

She snorted. "I don't need them. That's my ship – I know every circuit in her." That look was still there. "You're stalling."

He gave up trying to cover himself and shook his head, going for honesty instead. "I don't think I can make that kind of decision, Jen. I don't have that type of authority."

"Than tell me who does, and I'll go to them," she said firmly. "You can't expect me to see this and not try to share it with the Resistance! Do you know how many lives this could save? How much it could shorten the war?" Her eyes were flashing with a mixture of excitement and determination. "How could it hurt? What risk is there in sharing it with the Resistance that can't be outweighed by the human lives it would save?"

Mark's mouth was hanging open at this point. He was getting a glimpse of the Jennifer Chase that had prompted her team to look at him like he was taking his life into his hands for giving her a nickname that suggested she was small, and anything besides strong. "Okay, okay – I'll look into it," he assured her. "I'm guessing we'll have to go to John, and he'll have to go to the Council…"

"The Council?"

"That's the governing body here in Eden. Eight people that were elected to pass laws, keep order, etc. They're the ones that John petitioned to let you in, knowing you'd want to leave again. He had to do some sweet talking." Mark's face darkened a bit. "We've got a lot of people that are here that worry about our safety. It's gotten worse in the past few years. When I first started here, each courier pair went on two to three runs a week. We're down to one each now, and there are fewer of us than there used to be." Mark frowned as he explained the way the safe haven was run. "I guess you're always going to have frightened people, and they have good reason to be afraid. But we've had to seriously limit the people we're able to help because of it. Any type of information exchange with the outside would send some of those folks into a panic." He dropped his voice, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that they were still alone. "Honestly, you have to know that there's more to me keeping my letter runs quiet than just not wanting to become everyone's postman," he added. "If some people knew…if they thought that there was a chance that Eden's location could get out in a letter-"

It's was Jennifer's turn to be shocked. "Mark, you don't think I would – I don't even know where we are – I've made it a point _not _to ask questions –"

"I know, Pip, I know. That's why I don't have a problem with it. But you'd never get some of the Council members to believe it. So we just do it quietly."

Jennifer thought for a minute. "So…do you think there's a way we could do _this_ quietly? The cloaking device?" Her look turned pleading. "Mark, it would keep them safe."

He knew she wasn't thinking about the Resistance in general now…she was thinking of her team. The look on her face when he'd told her about Power's injuries, and Hawk's, had told him how much she worried about them. He sighed. The problem was, he knew she was right. He'd thought to himself a few times as they flew to meet Power's team about how lucky they were to have the technology they did. "Maybe…" He watched her face light up and shook his head. "I always was a sucker for a pretty face," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

She just shook her head back at him. "I won't tell Kelly you said that." Her face was hopeful. "So….think you can walk me through the basics?"

He rubbed a hand over his face. "We're going to have to buy you some supplies…"

"I set up a credit account earlier this week." Jennifer shrugged when he looked surprised. "I won't let Vi pay me for the repairs – she's letting me stay with her. Bbut a few people that she knows have started to ask me to work on things for them, and they've been trying to pay me. Needed a credit account for that. I figured I could use it to bring some things back to the guys when I go home. This would be ten times better. I should be able to get whatever we need."

"And your therapy schedule?"

"Sam's got me working in the afternoons. That leaves my mornings free."

Mark sighed. "Pip, I can't just pull the schematics out here. It'd raise too many questions."

Jennifer's face showed how fast her mind was working. "If you can work with me on it in the evenings at Vi's, it should work. Hey - it's an excuse to eat Lottie's food on a regular basis," she smirked. "Then when I've got everything figured out, I can work on it back there. No one really needs to know. I came here today to see if you had a tool I could borrow for one of my repairs, actually. It'd be a good cover if I needed anything for the cloaking device." Her eyes took on the hard, excited look again. "You know this is the right thing to do, Mark."

Mark sighed and closed his eyes. "Yeah, Pip, I know. It's just not going to be the easiest thing to do." He opened them and looked at her. "I'm still going to feel John out about this – see what he thinks about doing it the 'official' way."

"As long as he doesn't try and stop us," she said firmly, "I have no problem with that."

Mark just shook his head. "You know what, Pip? I'm _really _glad you're on our side now."

L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L

_Dear Jon,_

_I can't complain anymore about not having enough to do! I've almost got everything done for Vi. Now she has several other people bringing me things, too. I ended up setting up an account at the bank, because many of them insist on paying me. Vi won't let me use the credits they're paying me to pay her for my room and board – she says taking care of the repairs is an even trade, though I'm not sure I agree with her - so I'm going to have a decent amount of credits to spend before I'm released to actually come home, at this rate. But I've found something to spend some of it on._

_I needed a part to finish a repair for Vi, so I went to see Mark at the hangar. They were getting the ship ready for another run – more people to bring in. I finally got to take a good look at their transport, and started asking some questions. Jon, they've hooked up a ship with a cloaking device, and it's got a smaller engine than the jump ship! It took some work, but I got Mark to go through the schematics with me. I couldn't believe the technology they were using! I convinced him to let me put a similar device together – one that would work with the jump ship's systems. I sent the schematics to Scout with my letter to him. If he makes the adjustments I noted, you'll be ready to hook the device up when I get it to you with the next courier. Can you imagine how much this will help us? With a cloaking device, we can get from one mission to the next without interference from Soaron. That means less time repairing holes in the hull and more time working on ways to beat Dread. Plus, I won't have to worry about you guys quite so much._

_I've had to do the work in the mornings, before my therapy sessions. Sam's really working me hard. He said to tell "that captain of mine" that he's making sure I can handle being back outside and fighting. I think if I was staying here I'd have been dismissed already, but they're working mostly on building up my stamina. I have to admit…I'm exhausted by the time I'm done. I usually collapse until dinner, and then I'm lucky to get up enough energy to sit and talk with Vi. Kelly and Mark drop by for dinner quite often. Then I come upstairs to write to all of you before I fall asleep again, and he of course he walks her home. They're really happy together._

_Seeing as how I'm about to fall asleep writing yet again, I'm going to go for tonight. I have a lot more work to do on that cloaking device before I can get it to you. I'll write again tomorrow._

_I miss you. I'd really rather it be you walking me home than me watching Mark and Kelly._

_I love you,_

_Jennifer_


	12. Chapter 12

_Dear Jon,_

_I get to come home in two weeks! I can't believe it – I've finally made it! Sam is starting to teach me strengthening exercises that I can do back at the base, and Vi and Lottie are working desperately to help me gain the last couple of pounds they want me to gain. But the doctors have signed off on me leaving whether or not I gain them, so I'm already starting to pack. Mark says you'll be hearing from John soon, and that I need to remind you to act surprised. I've been using up the credits I have left on things that I think you guys would enjoy – some food, some music, some books. I want you to have a chance to experience at least a little of what I've been able to experience._

_I actually let Kelly read one of your last letters – the one where you explained your conversation with Mark. She got teary-eyed as she read it. She hugged me hard, and told me that someday she'll have to meet this captain of mine who seems so smart. I'd love for that to happen. I'm going to miss her. Don't get me wrong – I'm counting down the days until I am back with you. But I will miss her, and Mark, and some of the others that I've met here. Hopefully, when this whole mess of a war is over, we can reconnect. Mark says he'll still run letters back and forth, just maybe not every week._

_I hope the cloaking device is installed and functioning properly. I feel better knowing that you guys are protected. Of course, I'll be able to see if it's working for myself in two weeks! It'll only be a week after you read this, I guess. So get ready – I don't know if I'll be able to let you out of my sight for a little while!_

_I love you, and I'll see you soon. I'm so excited to write that!_

_Love,_

_Jennifer_

Jon read and re-read the letter as the team returned back to the base at the jump ship. Mark had teased them at the drop-off that day that there was big news in Jennifer's first letter, and that the captain wouldn't want to wait long to read it. The rest of the team had waited anxiously as Jon opened the letter, and they could tell by the smile that threatened to crack his face in two that it was the news they'd been waiting for. She was coming home.

"You know, she was gone for her birthday," Scout was saying to Hawk as he started the descent. "We ought to have a party."

"I think just the fact that she's coming home is a good excuse to have a party," Tank interjected.

"I wonder if we can get some fresh food from the hydroponics lab at the Passages," Matt wondered. "I think we need a celebration dinner, at the very least. I know it won't be up to Lottie's standards, but it ought to be special." Matt set the jump ship down, giving the console a pat with the thought that its favorite pilot was on her way home. "Jon, couldn't you have at least warned her to bring some warm clothes?" he asked. "She's going to be in for a bit of a shock when she gets here."

"It was too risky – I can't put anything at all in writing about our location," Jon said, shaking his head. "We'll get her some extra warm things from the Passages – if we're there to pick up food later this week, we can get it then." He exited the ship, listening with a smile as Scout wondered out loud about music for Jennifer's homecoming party and Tank and Hawk debated about recipes. He paused as they turned down the hallway towards the command center, and instead headed the opposite direction to the sleeping quarters.

He came to the empty quarters that they had set aside for Jennifer and entered the room. It smelled a little stale in there – he made a mental note to air the room out as the time for her arrival got closer. His eyes took in the Spartan surroundings…they didn't have much of a chance to gather possessions, and everything she'd had was destroyed when the first base exploded. He knew she'd collected a few "mementos" of their missions, and he couldn't reproduce any of those. They had come across a few books on their missions, and he'd held back a few that he thought she might enjoy. Those were on a shelf above the work area, but that was about it. He'd have to ask the others for some suggestions – she needed a more welcoming space.

He walked down the hall to his own quarters, wanting to drop the bundle of letters off until he got a chance to read another one tonight. As he entered, his eyes rested on the box of personal items from his father that Matt had found in storage. He paused. He'd put off opening the box for a multitude of reasons. But now, he knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to open the box with Jennifer – to go through whatever was inside with her, to share the stories and memories that he was certain would be dredged up by whatever was in there with someone who was as important to him as his father had been. He'd wished more than once that she could have met his dad. He thought they would have gotten along well – her need to learn anything and everything that she'd missed would have captivated his father. And she would have appreciated his wisdom, much like she appreciated Tank's knowledge of history. Would she have been able to talk to his father – eventually – as well as she talked with Mentor?

Jon placed a hand on the box, wiping the thin layer of dust that had settled on top of it away. "Soon," he said softly to himself. Then, it was time to get back to work. One more week to go, and the busier he kept himself, the faster she would return to him.

L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L

"Mr. Stanton? There's a man out here who says he has information for you about a possible security breach."

William Stanton looked up from the financial report he was reading. Security breach? He placed the report back into the file – the bank's financial state was as solid as always, and could wait. Security, however, was something he never took lightly.

"Send him in, Phillips."

The man that entered his office wore the uniform of a mechanic. Stanton schooled his features so as to not betray the discomfort he felt at the man's cleanliness. He had to assume his visitor had come straight from his place of employment. "Can I help you, sir?"

His visitor was obviously uncomfortable. Stanton watched his eyes flick around the room nervously, taking in his surroundings. Stanton knew that his office was a bit more…comfortable…than most. It was a benefit of his position, and he wasn't about to feel ashamed for it. He'd been one of Eden's founding citizens, and he'd worked hard to ensure that the bank, as well as the land that he'd quietly acquired, allowed him such comforts. He waited patiently as the man's eyes traveled the room and finally landed back on him.

"Yes sir, Mr. Stanton…sir. I…I've heard that you're someone who is willing to speak your mind when it comes to keeping us safe here in Eden."

"You are correct," Stanton said simply. "I take our security – the importance of the lives we've built here – very seriously."

"Well, sir, that's why I'm here. I…I've learned that there's a chance we might be betrayed by someone."

Stanton indicated that the man should sit down. "Please, Mr…?"

"Uhm, Krauss. Steve Krauss, sir. I work as a mechanic down in the hangar bays. I help keep up the maintenance on the convoy ships, sir."

"Well, Mr. Krauss. What makes you think we are going to be betrayed by someone?"

"I…" Krauss didn't seem to know where to start. After a lengthy pause, he finally began. "I keep to myself, sir. I just want to do my job, to have a peaceful life. I didn't mean to overhear, but…"

"Mr. Krauss, many desperate plans have been foiled by someone who didn't mean to hear something." Krauss' body language had Stanton on high alert. This wasn't someone coming to report a random rumor. Something was going on. "Are there problems with one of the couriers? My friends and I have worked hard to limit their trips to the outside…perhaps we've been too lenient?" As far as Stanton was concerned, the influx of people to Eden 2 was their largest security risk. If he had his way, he'd stop them altogether. Since he couldn't, he'd pressured the right people until the convoys were as limited as possible.

"No, sir – the couriers take their jobs very seriously. No one that I work with would risk us here in Eden…at least, not knowingly."

Not _knowingly? _"Is someone manipulating our couriers, Mr. Krauss?"

"I…I'm not sure, sir. You see, in a few days, one of the couriers will be returning a Resistance soldier who was brought here for medical treatment back to the outside."

"Ah, yes, I remember something about that." He hadn't been happy with the situation, not at all. The only reason he hadn't been able to stop it was because John had gone straight to the Council and asked for an emergency exception to their policies. Stanton hadn't found out about it in time to block it. "Wasn't it a member of the Power team?"

"Yes, sir. You see, she's scheduled to go back in a few days."

"Do you have a reason to think that this soldier shouldn't be trusted?"

Krauss was now wringing his hands in his lap. "I don't like to make quick judgments, sir. In fact, I never would have thought twice about it. I've met Corporal Chase several times, and she _seems_ like a nice enough person."

When Krauss didn't continue, Stanton began to grow impatient. "Something, however, is making you doubt your first impressions, Mr. Krauss."

Krauss' eyes closed as he continued. "I wasn't supposed to hear them…I needed a part, and I went to Davis' workstation to see if he knew where I could get one. I overheard…I overheard a conversation they were having. And I found out something about Corporal Chase that she hasn't told people."

"And this would be…?"

"She was in the Dread Youth." Stanton's eyes widened as Krauss rushed on. "I…I didn't think it was possible. No one ever escapes the Youth. None of them _want_ to. Dread brainwashes them, trains them…everyone has heard the stories. But Davis was asking her something about her training, and she was awfully specific. I don't think she could have known about it if she wasn't. And she looks the part…I never thought about it before. I mean, I knew she was a member of Power's team – how could she possibly have been in the Dread Youth? How could someone like that end up in such a high-profile Resistance group?"

Stanton couldn't believe what he was hearing. As Krauss prattled on, his mind was whirling. A Dread Youth member here, in Eden? He couldn't believe she'd been allowed to enter. Had John known about this when he'd petitioned for her entrance? The reasoning he'd given, according to his sources, was that she was a vital member of Power's team, the team that had the best chance at beating Dread once and for all. It was imperative, John had argued, that the team stay whole. Too much was riding on them, they'd contributed so much already…there had been numerous excuses. But nothing in the hasty report he'd given the Council had mentioned anything about this in her past. He knew John – the man was nothing if not thorough. Stanton doubted that he had missed something this big. He'd be talking to John, as well…

"She hasn't ever given any reason to believe she shouldn't be trusted, sir, but…can she really have shaken that training? I just got scared, Mr. Stanton. We've all worked hard to get what we have here." Stanton focused back in on the man in front of him. Krauss was now speaking so rapidly that he needed to concentrate just to keep up. He held up a hand and quickly reassured his informant.

"No, Mr. Krauss. You did the right thing. Please believe me – you did the right thing for everyone here in Eden. I'll look into this immediately."


	13. Chapter 13

Jon paced back and forth at the meeting area. Mark had never been late, not in the months of weekly meetings they'd had. He tried not to think that something had happened, not now, not when he was about to get her back…

"Jon, they'll be here soon."

"They're a half hour late."

"I know. It could be technical problems."

"With both Mark and Jennifer on board? I don't think so."

"Maybe Jennifer packed so many treats for us that it weighed them down and made them travel slower than they'd expected," Scout offered, trying to lighten the mood that had been getting progressively more tense as every minute ticked by. They were all so excited to see their missing team member, especially in any condition that was better than they'd last seen her, that they'd actually arrived at the rendezvous area over half an hour early. That only made the fact that Mark was late feel even worse. Tank just looked at Scout, shaking his head.

"Something is wrong." Jon dragged a hand over his face. What if she'd re-injured herself? Pushed herself too hard? What if the transport had been attacked? "Jon – "

They all froze as they heard someone approaching. They hadn't heard a ship approach, and it was highly unlikely that Mark and Jennifer had been sitting there twiddling their thumbs all this time. Especially since Mark had planned on landing closer to the rendezvous point to help Jennifer unload her things. All four of them drew their weapons. Jon was about to power his suit up until he saw Mark come into view.

"Captain – I'm sorry. I know you've been waiting." Mark's hands were held up, and he approached cautiously.

"Mark, what happened?" Hawk approached the younger man in confusion – he was alone.

"Where's Jennifer?" Jon asked stiffly.

Mark's shoulders slumped. "She's not here. They wouldn't let her leave."

"Why?" he asked, his mouth dry. He was dreading the answer, picturing her back in the hospital, sick again, confined to a bed…

"Because they're a bunch of political, cowardly, back-stabbing, hypocritical morons, that's why."

That answer took Jon by surprise. It took him a minute to re-focus on what Mark was actually saying. "What? What are you talking about?"

"They've decided she's a security risk. They found out about her past, and they decided that they're not sure that they can trust her to leave and keep Eden a secret."

Her past? "You mean about escaping from the Dread Youth." The puzzle pieces were starting to fall into place, and Jon could feel his confusion starting to give way to anger. "They think that she'd betray them?"

"Yes."

"Because of her past?"

"Because she was in the Youth. Because of something that she didn't ask for, and suffered for, and broke away from years ago. Yes."

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Jon was pacing again. Mark had explained what had happened – that someone in his shop had apparently overheard a conversation Jennifer had had with him while they were talking in his workshop. She'd come to borrow something to work on the cloaking device with. "She didn't exactly broadcast anything about her past, Captain. You know she only tells people that she trusts." But the damage had been done. Mark had asked her (in private, he thought) about flight training in the Youth. He'd just been curious, one pilot to another. But someone had overheard.

So they were keeping her there against her will now. The man who had heard had kept his mouth shut at first, but when the paranoid idiot heard her making plans to leave he got nervous. "The people there don't want the war to ever find them again, Captain, and some of them feel so strongly about it that they'll do almost anything. There are groups that lobby continuously for us to limit the amount of people we take in, that we need to be careful about who we allow for fear of a spy or a plant from Dread. This idiot went to the leader of the strongest of those groups sometime in the last few days. We had no idea – we were packing the transport last night to so we'd be ready to leave bright and early today. Pip was almost bouncing, she was so excited. I've never seen her that happy before. And then they came storming in, demanding to know if she was a former Dread Youth member."

And now, Jennifer was basically a prisoner in the place they'd sent her to heal. The leadership in Eden, of course, thought they were being more than reasonable. She wasn't being detained – she was still at Vi's, and as of now her actions wouldn't be restricted. But she was being forced to wear a monitoring device so that they'd know where she was at all times – so she wouldn't bolt. She had been an anomaly of sorts, the only person that ever had arrived in Eden with a definite plan to leave it again. Knowing that, they were worried she'd try to leave despite their ruling. The tracking device, to them, kept their minds at ease and allowed her to live what they considered a "normal life." To them, she was fortunate. She could remain in paradise and not have to fight. She could enjoy everything that Eden had to offer. No one considered, Mark had said quietly, that her heart was out here, and that she'd never be happy just being safe while people she loved were still out fighting. That she felt a need – a compulsion – to keep fighting until everyone could enjoy what Eden had to offer. They never even took that into consideration.

To think that anyone would accuse Jennifer of doing anything remotely disloyal, anything that would put anyone in danger! She'd spoken so carefully in all her letters about how important it was to keep Eden safe, that what they were doing there would ensure that the human race would survive and have a place to start over when this insane war was over. To judge her like that – without knowing how hard she'd worked to get there, to forgive herself…

"Jon?"

Mark was approaching him. Jon had separated himself from the group to try to get a hold of his emotions. "Jon, I need some help. Jennifer, she…she shut down. She didn't even defend herself for that long. She told them the truth – of course – and then she just got quiet, and as soon as they put that damn tracker on her, she almost ran for her room. Kelly went after her, but she wouldn't talk to her. We tried for a long time – I don't think Kelly actually left her last night. When I left this morning, I had a message from Kelly that Pip had holed herself up in her workshop, and would barely talk to anyone."

Jon's eyes closed. He knew that there was a part of her that, deep down, didn't blame the people that were condemning her because she thought she deserved it. It was a mindset that the entire team had fought against ever since she came to them – that she had to somehow make amends for what she'd been a part of. That, he knew, was why she hadn't really argued. And the almost compulsive need to work? He could picture her the way she'd been when they'd first found her. She was so very angry, and she would try to work those feelings out by focusing completely on whatever task needed done.

"It's almost like she thinks if she keeps working, she won't have to think about it."

"No, that's not it. It's actually her way of trying to work through enough of her anger to get to a point where she _can_ talk about it. We would always wait until she'd had some space, and then we could get her to talk. It was important that she had someone who would listen to her without judging. And we had to tell her we were ready to hear it – that we wanted to listen. I would always make sure she knew that I was ready to listen, whenever she was." _But I'm not there…_ "Mark, she needs someone to just listen. Someone she can trust…someone she cares about. Maybe Kelly…With all of this bringing up bad memories, she needs someone to just listen. I wish…" His hands balled into fists again, and his voice rose in anger. "I should be there. I should be there with her, helping her, listening to her, defending her. None of them know what she's been through. Not like I do."

"Jon, I'd take you back with me in an instant. But honestly…there's no telling when they'll let her go. These people are paranoid and determined like few you've seen. Are you willing to stay in Eden as long as it takes? Or are you willing to see her, and then have to leave again?" Mark watched him carefully.

Could he stay in Eden as long as it took? For a moment, Jon pictured himself sitting outside on a blanket, Jennifer resting against him, the sun shining down on them both. It was more tempting than anything he'd ever experienced. But deep down he knew – he knew that after a little while, the war would pull at him. Knowing that he was safe and happy while others suffered was something he wouldn't be able to deal with on a long-term basis. And he also knew that it might honestly kill him to be with Jennifer again, and then have to leave her. No, he was almost certain he wouldn't be able to bear that. That left him no choice but to leave her in the seemingly capable hands of the people who'd grown to care for her there.

"No. I couldn't."

"I didn't think so." Mark sighed, and took a packet of letters out of his pocket. "The only things we managed to get out of her were these letters. They were in her bag…I think maybe she couldn't break the habit of writing to you each night. Maybe she was going to give them to you in person? I knew that you'd want some kind of contact with her." Mark sighed, seeing Jon's emotions play across his face. "I'm so sorry, Jon. I wanted to bring her back to you."

"I know." Jon felt like he was dangerously close to becoming physically ill. The thought of going back to the base without her…He wasn't sure he could do that, either. There weren't many choices for him today. He looked at the letters in his hand. "I left the ones I wrote her in her quarters back at the base. I don't have anything for her…Mark, could you wait long enough for me to write to her?"

"I can do whatever you want me to, Jon. I can't begin to understand what you're going through, but I know that if I was that far away from Kelly and she was in any kind of situation like this…it'd be hell. And I'd want to reassure her however I could. I've got paper with me – let me go back and get it. It might not be a bad idea for you all to write her a note. I think she'll need it."

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"I take it there hasn't been any change." Mark took in the sight of Kelly and Vi sitting in the boarding house's private living room, looking dejected.

"Hey….so glad you're back." Kelly got up and threw her arms around him. "Did you explain everything?"

"As best I could. I left behind one pretty darn unhappy team, and a resistance captain that almost stormed my transport and came back here to take everyone out."

"I'd be angry if that wasn't the case," Vi retorted. "Honestly, I almost hoped he would. Those idiots on the Council would probably bend over backward to make _him_ happy."

"No, I think we're in deeper than that," Mark said, shaking his head. "That idiot Krauss went to the right people – they've got their talons in on the Council so deep that the members can't cough without Stanton's group knowing it."

Kelly's voice shook with anger. "There's no way we can change his mind – that old man is insanely paranoid. And as long as his group is working behind the scenes, we're in the position of having to fight to prove that Jennifer is trustworthy. The man has never even met her." She paced back and forth across the room. "How dare he? She could have given away this place fifty times in her letters."

"Hey – I haven't exactly been broadcasting the fact that I've been meeting Power's team as regularly as I have been, and they definitely don't know anything about the letters. We have to keep that a secret…it's the only connection Jennifer has with the captain. Do you really think she could take it if she lost that?"

"No," Kelly sighed. "Though at the moment, I'm not sure anything is going to help her. She hasn't said more than five sentences since it happened. She didn't sleep at all last night, and she hasn't eaten anything. Sam just went home – he was almost begging her to rest, to eat. He's afraid she's going to set herself back. You know that they were only releasing her because she promised to go back to limited duty for a month or two."

"How'd she talk them into that?" Vi's voice was incredulous. "Sam knows her well enough to know that she's not likely to stick to that kind of agreement."

"Yes, but he also knew that she was really missing home, missing Jon. He thought that being back there with him would be enough of a benefit to outweigh the cons of sending her back earlier. I think he thought maybe she'd actually rest a little more if she could rest with him."

Vi snorted. "Really? And how many resistance cells has Sam been involved in? They don't have time to rest – those two will be lucky to sneak away for some downtime once every few weeks or so. It's not an easy life she's so eager to go back to."

"It's not the life she's trying to get back to, Vi. You know that." Kelly turned around to face her. "She really doesn't worry about how hard it is – she's lived it, she knows what she's in for. She just wants to be back with him." Her eyes met Mark's, and he nodded. "It's what we'd want."

"Well, it apparently doesn't matter what _any_ of us want." Vi stood up, her temper back up high enough that she had to move again. "I'm going over to Martin Hummel's house myself and trying to talk some sense into him." Hummel was on the Council, and was a friend of Vi's – there had been a rumor that he was trying to court her at one point, but she'd put him off. "I'd give anything if I could figure out what Stanton is holding over him – and the rest of the council. It can't _just_ be his ability to pass out credits like they're glasses of water."

When she was gone, Kelly walked over to Mark and laid her forehead against his chest. His arms wrapped tightly around her. "Nothing I say has made any difference, Mark. She's been out there all day, working constantly."

"According to Jon, we're going about it wrong."

Kelly leaned back to look at his face. "Jon, huh? You and the Captain are on a first name basis now?"

"I just had to tell him that he wasn't getting Jennifer back today – and that I have no idea when he will. I had to tell him that people are judging her for something that she's tried to put behind her for years…and then I had to leave him there. I really don't think he cares what I call him." He rubbed her back soothingly. "Anyway, he says that this is an old habit of hers when she's frustrated, upset, angry – any and all of it. It's like she's trying to get enough of her emotions under control until she can manage to talk about it. He said he could get her to talk if he just listened."

"I've been trying to! I've been trying to get her to talk to me – I've tried giving her space, even. I spent an hour just sitting there watching her work earlier."

"Jon says we have to_ tell_ her that we're there to listen. She needs someone to offer to do it, because so much of what she can tell us about her life before this is…well, not happy stuff. It was the Dread Youth – it wasn't pleasant."

"Even though this time it's more the Council and this place that's making her frustrated?"

"Yes...and for the record, until she talks to us, we don't know that." He kissed her on the forehead and pulled away from her. "Jon also said that there's probably a part of her that doesn't blame them for doing this." He put both hands up in front of him as Kelly pulled back, an argument on her lips. "I know, I know. But I had to ask him – we obviously don't know what we're dealing with here. The bottom line is, we have to make her understand that we want to hear what's going through her head." Kelly nodded, not saying anything. He reached out and rubbed his hands along her arms. "Do you think she'd be ok talking to both of us, or do you want to go down there on your own first?"

"Probably on my own. She's close to you, but it's not the same as when it's just us girls."

"Ok…I'm giving you a little time, and then I'm heading down. I know you've been closer for longer, but I don't like seeing her hurt, either. Besides, I have strict orders from Captain Power himself to report on her next week."

"Jen?"

Just like all the other times, there was no response as Kelly made her way into the tool shed that Jennifer had taken over for her own use as a workshop. She was seated at the workbench that she'd fashioned for herself from a spare piece of wood and a few concrete blocks, staring intently at the control panel of some small appliance that was in too many pieces right now for Kelly to recognize. Her body posture was still stiff, and there were some telltale smudges on her face near her eyes – had she broken down? Kelly mentally kicked herself for letting her be alone.

"Jen? Come on, honey, you need to take a break." Jennifer finally at least glanced up, but just shook her head and returned to her work. Well, it was a start, Kelly thought. It was the first time her friend had acknowledged her all day. "Jen, I'm here. I'll listen to whatever it is you need to get off your chest, but you're not going to solve this by fixing…whatever that is." There wasn't any response this time, and Kelly closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. _What next, Jon?_ she asked silently.

"A communications pad."

Kelly's head snapped up. "What?"

"It's a communications pad. They've scavenged several older models to use at the school, and they asked me to get them back into shape."

"Oh. Word's gotten around that you're looking for things to do, huh?" Kelly asked with a smile.

"Yes." Jennifer actually tried to smiled back…it didn't quite reach her eyes, though, and ended up looking more like a grimace. "I don't know if they'll still want me to now…" She looked down at the pad, at the tools in her hands, and sighed. "I'm sorry, Kelly. I just needed to work through some things."

"Yeah, I've been told that's your routine." When Jennifer raised an eyebrow at her, Kelly just shook her head. "I have my sources."

"I'm sure you do. Nothing much gets past you."

"Then you might as well talk to me, because you know that I'm not going to let up until you do."

Jennifer looked down, fingers toying with the tool she hadn't put away yet. "I don't like having my decisions made for me. I put up with that for too many years."

"And this probably feels a little similar – a group of people telling you that you don't have a choice, that you have to do something. Expecting you to follow orders and be happy about it."

"Yes! I think that's the worst part. They can't even understand why I'm upset!" Jennifer pushed off the stool and started to wander the perimeter of the shed. She seemed to need to move, much as Vi had. "To them, I'm not a prisoner because I'm here, and I'm not physically locked in a room. The tracking device," she spat as she pulled her sleeve away from her wrist where the hated thing was clasped, "is nothing to them. Well, I'd like to see them wear one, then. I'd like them to know the feeling that someone is watching over their shoulder. It's just like Volcania – only there, it was observation drones and overunits that were always monitoring where we were."

Kelly wished the members of the Council who had voted to stop Jennifer from leaving could have heard her. Did they have any clue the kind of memories they were dredging up for her friend? "I'm sorry," she said, feeling helpless. "No one has the right to make you feel that way again."

Jennifer laughed softly, though there wasn't any real humor in it. "For the longest time, I believed that I deserved every hateful look that I got. Especially in the beginning, when I first started going on missions with the team, there were places I wasn't welcome. All some people had to do was look at me and they knew where I'd come from. I'm still surprised more of the people here didn't realize it more quickly. Back then, I'd enter a settlement and people would either hide or come out swinging. It took a long time before I really just became one of the team, and not someone that people distrusted on sight."

"You were there to help them, and they still treated you like that?"

Jennifer sighed, finally stopping her pacing and resting against a wall. She was looking out the window, but Kelly was certain she wasn't seeing Vi's garden. "So many people were hurt by things the Dread Youth did. It didn't matter – still doesn't – that the overwhelming majority of its members had no idea that what they were doing was wrong. That we had no choice in the matter – you had to believe, or you disappeared. We all knew that. And many of them wanted to believe. It was all we'd ever known. But none of that matters to the people who haven't lived it. To the people on the outside, the people that were hurt? When you've seen loved ones cut down by someone who looks very much like the person in front of you… it's hard."

Kelly couldn't believe she was sitting here listening to Jennifer defend people who had judged her on sight alone. "Jennifer, I didn't know you then. I didn't know you when you escaped. But I know you now. And I know that you're one of the best people I've ever met in my entire life. Don't let yourself believe what stupid, ignorant people think – not for an instant!"

"I know – in my head, I know that I am a completely different person from Youth Leader Chase. I've grown, and I've learned, and I've changed for the better. Thanks to Jon, and the rest of the guys, I know what it means to be human now. I've been given a second chance. But it doesn't make me feel better about what I had a part in, whether I knew it or not. And there's always been a part of me that feels like…like I can't blame them for what they feel when they see me."

Kelly watched as her friend seemed to shrink a bit before her eyes. "Jennifer, you told me what happened when you left the Youth, and when the Power team found you. It took an amazing amount of courage for you to do what you did. Not everyone could have done that! And I know that you couldn't have done it if even a part of you still believed that what the litanies the Youth spouted had any truth in them whatsoever."

"I was put on trial once for it, you know." Jennifer saw Kelly's mouth drop open in shock, but she shook her head and continued the story before she could protest. "I'd been on a mission with Jon – we were returning to the base with data on Dread's latest project. Soaron shot us down as we were heading home, and Jon was injured. I had to walk to the nearest water station for help…when I got there, there were several people living there that had been at Sandtown."

Kelly knew that was the pivotal moment – when Jennifer had realized that everything she'd believed in was a lie. They'd had this conversation in the hospital one day when she'd arrived for her shift to find out that Jennifer hadn't slept because of a nightmare. It had been a recurring nightmare – one she'd struggled with for years. One where she saw that day over and over again in her mind, heard the voices of the people being hurt, captured, digitized… "What happened?"

"The only way they'd agree to send help for Jon was if I agreed to a tribunal. What else could I do? There was a boy there that had lost his family. Because of something I said…something I'd been programmed to say, yes, but it came from me…his house was burned, his family destroyed." Jennifer took a deep breath. "By the time we were done, I think they realized that I really did feel remorse, and shame, and every other awful thing I could feel about that day. It's a long, complicated story, but they ended up letting me go. Blastarr…Blastarr showed up and started shooting up the settlement. They let me go help defend it."

"You fought for them? You fought for them after they tried to blame you for things you had no control over?"

"That's what we do, Kelly. We help anyone who needs it. I knew how to fight biodreads. I was the only hope they had of getting away. Of course, we didn't know much about Blastarr at that point, and he almost did me in then. I guess the stupid thing did kinda have it in for me…" her voice trailed off as she lapsed into thought.

"How did you get away?" Kelly asked softly.

"Jon." A ghost of a smile crossed Jennifer's face for the first time that day. "He'd seen Blastarr kill the people the settlement sent to help him. He managed to drag himself over to their transport and follow Blastarr to the settlement…he got there just in time to help me force that monster into regeneration and give us all a chance to get away." She looked at Kelly from across the room. "There's another trend I didn't see…Blastarr might have had it out for me, but Jon kept riding in to the rescue."

"That hasn't changed, Pip." Neither woman had seen Mark at the door. "I saw him today. And it was everything he could do to keep himself from jumping on that ship and riding in to try and rescue you again. I really think it almost killed him not to."

Jennifer's eyes began to glisten. "I don't want him to have to worry about me. He has enough to deal with."

"Well, that's part of the territory when you feel so strongly about someone, I'm afraid." Mark came in and closed the door behind him. "I told him that I was sorry. I couldn't imagine – still can't – feeling so helpless, knowing that the woman I loved was being treated like this. And I felt like a heel for having to leave him there."

Jennifer shook her head. "He can't. He can't come here – he's needed out there. Who knows how long it will take them to change their mind about keeping me here. If they do change it…" She almost choked – she couldn't let herself think about that possibility for very long. She was too close to losing control over the tears that had been threatening all day as it was.

"I know that. _He_ knows that, but it doesn't make it easier to stomach." Mark reached into his pocket and took out the letters that the team had written her. "He left his letters for you in your quarters - I guess he thought maybe you could read them at home. But when he found out what a mess everything was in, that you weren't there…he asked me to wait so that he could write this. He needed so badly to make contact with you somehow. They all sent you something, Pip. They're all completely torn up that you're going through this. You have so many people pulling for you, out there and here in Eden. We're going to get you through this."

"I know." She tried very hard to smile at them, wanting to reassure them. "I…" She bit down on her lip and shook her head, looking away.

"Jen…honey, let it go. You know we're your friends. You can't keep something like this inside." Kelly approached her and gently laid her hand on Jennifer's arms where she had them tightly crossed against her chest. It was almost like she was physically holding herself together. "It's ok to be upset. This has been about the worst day imaginable, and it was supposed to be the best."

That did it. The tears she'd been holding back since the Council had marched into the hangar and stopped her from leaving broke through. Her shoulders started to shake. "I…I was supposed to be with him right now. I was…was supposed to be able to show him that I was ok, that I...Oh, I miss him so much it _hurts_, Kelly! And I don't want to hurt like this anymore –" Her sobs kept her from saying anything else. Kelly fought back her own tears as she wrapped her arms around her friend.

"I know, honey, I know." She laid her cheek on Jennifer's head and rubbed her back soothingly. "You need to let it out, though. It'll just get worse if you don't." Mark looked helplessly on as Kelly rocked her friend gently and allowed her to cry herself out. After a while, Jennifer's sobs quieted down, and Mark approached them. Kelly nodded and let go of Jennifer so that he could wrap his arms around her.

"Come on, Pip. Let's get you back to the house. You need to rest, you need to eat – you need to take care of yourself. That captain of yours was pretty adamant that he wanted a full and detailed report about you next week. I don't know if I can look him in the eye and tell him you're not taking care of yourself." She nodded, wiping her face with her hands. "Don't worry about that – we'll take you in the back way. Kelly can make you up a tray and bring it to your room. Lottie's been making all your favorites all day, you know, so that when you came back in she could get you to eat."

"Would...Would you guys stay with me for a little while? I don't think I want to be alone quite yet." She looked at them gratefully through her tears, and her voice was a little steadier. "I'll think too much."

"Of course we will," Kelly soothed. "Come on, let's get out of here. You don't have a bad set-up here, honey, but it's kinda cramped with this big guy taking up all the space." She smiled up at Mark, though, and squeezed his arm as he guided Jennifer out the door, his arm around her shoulders for support.

Later, after Mark and Kelly had said goodbye, Jennifer was lying in her bed when she saw the letters Mark must've left on her desk. She stared at the one on top of the pile from across the room…her name was on it in Jon's handwriting. She needed so badly to feel connected to him, but at the same time she didn't want to fall apart again, and she knew that was a possibility if she read a letter from him. Finally, the need to connect won out, and she slipped out of bed, picked up the letter, and laid back down. Slowly, she opened it and began to read.

_Dear Jennifer,_

_I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I'm not there. No one else knows what you've gone through, no one else was there with you while you dealt with everything you've dealt with. I'm so angry right now I can barely write. You should be here with me right now. You should be back here where you want to be – not forced to stay somewhere against your will, monitored because they don't trust you. They don't know you – they can't know you and think that you'd ever do something like they're saying. I almost came back with Mark. I would've gotten on that ship in a heartbeat. But I could hear my dad's voice in my head, talking about our responsibility to everyone out here. I've never wanted to turn that voice off as much as I did today._

_Jennifer, you're the strongest woman I've ever met. Don't give up on this, ok? We're going to get you home. Mark tells us that Vi, Kelly, and Sam have already been in touch with everyone there they can think of, and they're mounting a defense for you. No one is giving up on you. No one is going to let just stand by and let them treat you like this. I can't tell you how thankful I am that you have these people around you. I'm going to owe them an awful lot._

_Can you do something for me? Can you talk to someone? Kelly, Vi, Sam, Mark…I don't care who. But Mark says you've shut yourself in your workshop and won't talk to anyone. You won't eat. Please…please talk to someone. They care about you, Jennifer. Not as much as I do, maybe, and I know they don't have the history that we have. They haven't seen you through some of the other things I've been there for. But they do care, and you need to talk to someone. Don't hold it in. I can't do what I need to out here if I'm wondering if you're ok. I tried that before your first letter got here…I just can't do it again. Please…if you got sick again because you didn't take care of yourself right now, I'd never be able to forgive myself for not coming and getting you. Please talk to someone._

_It's killing me to go home without you. This wasn't supposed to happen. We got your quarters ready, we have birthday presents wrapped and waiting for you…Hawk had plans for a feast (not probably like you're used to, but it was going to be as special as we could make it)… I just want to wrap my arms around you, to see you smile. I want to be able to touch you and know that you're ok. And I will. We'll get through this. We'll make them see reason. They have to. Anyone who really knows you could never believe you'd do anything to harm anyone. And when you finally do get home, I'm going to hold onto you and not let you go for a very, very long time._

_I love you, and I'll be here – no matter how long it takes._

_Jon_

She smiled despite the tears that had started falling when she began to read his words. She folded the letter back up, and after thinking for a minute, simply held onto it as she laid down. She was so tired, so drained…she wouldn't be able to string more than a few sentences together if she wrote him now. She knew he needed reassured just as much as she had earlier. She would do just that…in the morning.


	14. Chapter 14

How quickly things changed, Jennifer thought grimly. She sat in the dining area of Vi's house on the third day after she should have been home, eating by herself. She had continued her habit of getting up early to eat her breakfast in peace and quiet (as long as you could count Max chattering along beside her as peaceful…and somehow, she did) even before the incident at the hangar, and had taken every opportunity she could to eat dinner quietly in the kitchen with Vi and Lottie to avoid the other boarders. Now, she didn't have to worry about being overwhelmed by the others staying there. No one wanted to make small talk with someone like her.

It hadn't taken long. Word had gotten around about the Council's actions, and about her past along with it. Jennifer was fairly certain it had been done on purpose. It would be an easy way to discourage her, to make her hide. It was a sound – if cruel – tactic.

And it was working.

Vi was out running errands, and Lottie's sister was visiting her that evening and helping out in the kitchen. Jennifer hadn't wanted to disturb them, and since she was ravenous (having skipped lunch to avoid a similar problem) she'd decided to brave the dining room for dinner. She had purposefully arrived early during the meal and sat at one end of the huge table. As always, people slowly filed in to eat, laughing and chatting with friends or family. And, as had become the custom lately, the other end of the table filled up quickly. No one ever said or did anything blatantly rude…it's just that no one even looked at her, let alone attempted to talk to her or even sit near her. It was as if she was contagious, she thought grimly to herself. Don't sit too close to the traitor – you might catch something. She tried to eat quickly so that she could escape.

"Corporal Chase?" Surprised, Jennifer looked up. Hannah stood there with a plate in her hand. "Can we sit with you?"

"Oh – of course," Jennifer stammered. Hannah sat down right next to her with a shy smile, and within seconds Max was at her other side.

"Hi, Corporal Chase!" he said brightly. "Grandpa said you looked lonely. Are you lonely?" he asked innocently.

Jennifer couldn't believe such a simple question could cause her to tear up. She used to be able to control her emotions a lot better than this. She looked up at Shawn Barton with a grateful smile. "Thank you," she said quietly. "You didn't have to do this."

"Do what?" Barton was a fairly serious man who seldom smiled. But there was a definite gleam in his eye as he sat down across from her. "We figured we'd sit down here where there was a little more elbow room. Besides," he said, looking at her knowingly, "we haven't seen you around much the past few days." He saw her look down for a moment. He picked up his fork, waiting to continue until she looked back up at him, and held her gaze. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm alright," she said simply. "Not great, but better than I was."

"I thought you were going home, Corporal Chase," Max said. Hannah attempted to shush him, but she just smiled sadly at him.

"I did, too, Max. But the plans changed a little bit. It looks like I'm going to be around for a little while longer."

"Really? Then maybe you can come and help us build a tree house at our new place!" Max said excitedly.

"Your new place?"

"Grandpa found a house we can rent," the little boy said, bouncing in his chair. "It has this great big tree in the backyard. Grandpa said it would be great for a treehouse like my dad used to play in, but he's really busy at the store so he said it might take a little while. Could you help us build it?"

"Max!" Hannah hissed at him, shaking her head.

"Actually, I seem to have quite a bit of free time on my hands at the moment. A new project would be good to keep me busy," Jennifer assured him. "When will you be moving?" She was trying hard not to think about what it would be like here at Vi's without this small family to keep her company.

"In just a few days," Barton said, catching her eye and smiling sadly. Jennifer knew he'd guessed what she was thinking. "It's time these two had a place of their own to call home. Though I'm going to miss Lottie's cooking," he chuckled. "I'm not really much of a hand in the kitchen."

"Dad taught me to cook a few things," Hannah said in her quiet voice. "I can get dinner started when we get home from school. I'm old enough to help."

Barton regarded his granddaughter with a smile. "I know you are, Hannah." Just then, Lottie emerged from the kitchen with a large plate of cookies. "Ooh – why don't you two go snag us a few of those before too many of the others get them," he whispered loudly. The two children shot off to greet Lottie and fill a plate. Barton watched after them for a moment. "That's one way to manage to get a word in edgewise with Max around," he said wryly. "Fill his mouth with cookies."

Jennifer laughed. It felt good – she hadn't done much of that these past few days. "You all seem to be much more comfortable with each other these days," she commented.

"Time will do that, I guess. I can't really imagine them not being around now." Shawn looked at her closely, sizing her up. "You sure you're hanging in there alright, Jennifer?"

The sigh that escaped her kept her from trying to fool him. "Am I happy? No, not really. Do I enjoy people avoiding me here at Vi's or when I run to the market for Lottie? No, not really. But honestly, I've experienced worse. I think, deep down, I know I always will have to deal with this at some level."

"I should hope not," Barton argued gruffly. "I still can't see how they think that anyone who's fought as hard as you and your team have could betray anyone to Dread."

Jennifer smiled at him. "You sound a bit like a friend of mine back home. He's always had a hard time understanding why anyone sees me any differently than he does. It's a nice feeling, so thank you."

"Well, everyone here came because they wanted a real life, not one where they had to hide from Dread," Shawn said simply. "I imagine that, eventually, that's what you want, too."

"Yes, of course," Jennifer said, not sure where this conversation was going.

"You don't want to have to hide from Dread – or from anyone else, right? So why should you accept that this is something you're always going to have to deal with? Don't you deserve to live your life, too, when this whole mess is over?"

Jennifer just stared at him for a moment. He sounded _so much_ like Hawk…the member of the team they'd always teasingly called "the voice of wisdom," though Tank called him that more as a tease about his age than anything else. The voice of wisdom... "Yes, I do," she said. She wasn't focusing on him anymore, though. What Shawn had said had her mind whirling. She was looking down at her hands…hands that still bore calluses from her years as a pilot, though they weren't as defined as before. Hands that could repair just about anything. She'd never doubted that she'd be able to find a way to fix something before. She'd never shied away from anything that was asked of her as part of the team. Why should she start now?

"From the look on your face, I like what's going through your mind now a lot better than I did when we first came to dinner." Barton was smiling at her now. "So…What's next?" he asked, glancing up to be sure the children were still talking with Lottie.

Jennifer had done her research. She just hadn't acted on anything…until now. "According to official procedure, one of the members of The Council must agree to sponsor my petition asking them to reconsider their decision. Once I can get someone to do that, I'll get a chance to go to a Council meeting and make my case. Then they'll have to decide to either keep the ruling the same or amend it." Jennifer realized she'd been pushing her food around her plate, and put her fork down. "So my job is to convince one of those eight people that they were wrong, and that I deserve to have a say in it."

"Sounds fair enough," Barton commented.

"It would…if I could get one of them to listen to me. They're all afraid of a particular person, apparently – a Mr. Stanton."

"Stanton? He owns the bank, and quite a bit of land, from what I understand. A lot of the people who come here end up renting a house from him at some point."

Jennifer nodded. "Apparently, he has enough credits to convince almost anyone that his opinion is the only one. Vi says he's been here longer than almost everyone, and he's managed to work it so that almost everyone ends up owing him a favor at some point or another. He's never run for a council seat, she says, because he doesn't have to. He's got enough control where he is."

Barton shook his head. "Sounds like his opinion is pretty set. But…have you thought about going straight to him?"

Jennifer stared at him for a moment. Even with all of the suggestions her friends had given her in the past few days, that hadn't come up. She thought she knew why – they didn't want her to go up against someone as hateful as he was. But she couldn't just hide in her workshop forever. "You know, I think I might start there. And I have a few other options. Vi knows one of the Council members pretty well, she thinks she could get me a meeting with him. So even if I can't get through to Stanton, I can try to convince someone on the Council to listen to me. Eventually, someone has to listen."

As Hannah and Max returned with a plate full of cookies, Barton nodded and looked Jennifer in the eye. "Don't give up," he said simply.

"I don't plan on it," she answered him back, glad to be able to smile as she said it. "It's not really in my nature."

"So, Corporal Chase, can you really build us a tree house?" Max asked excitedly as he sat back down.

"I think so. I'll need a picture of one, though. I've only read about them in stories. I've never actually seen one."

"I think that could be arranged," Barton said. "We can head to the library and find something. You're sure it wouldn't be any trouble?" he asked.

"No, not at all. It'll keep my mind off home," she said simply. She picked her fork back up. "So…how was school today?"

For the first time in a while, she allowed her mind to drift off to something other than the fact that she wasn't home as Max chattered about his day, with Hannah chiming in from time to time. It wasn't dinner with the guys at the base, like she wanted it to be, but she was so thankful for having it that it didn't matter.

L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L

"Captain! I'm sorry – you've been waiting."

Jon shook his head. "Only because I was here almost an hour early. I couldn't wait at the base any longer. Of all the weeks for us to hit a slow patch, it had to be the one where I've been more worried than I've been since she left us."

Mark saw the tiredness in his eyes – had the man gotten any sleep since the last time they'd met? "I think she knew you would be…this bunch of letters is particularly thick." He handed it to Jon. "She's ok. When I got back, we took your advice and Kelly made sure she knew we were ready to listen. She admitted how frustrated she was – that all of this makes her think of Volcania, especially the tracking device."

"Being watched all the time…having decisions made for you…I knew it would dredge up bad memories," Jon said softly, staring at her handwriting on the envelope on the top of the stack.

"She told us a lot that night, once we got her back to the house…" His voice trailed off for a moment. "Look, we all knew she was strong. But to hear about what she went through back then? What Dread does to those kids?"

"It's horrific, isn't it?" Jon knew the feeling all too well.

"I know you said she's stronger than she looks, and that Pipsqueak wasn't the best nickname for her," Mark smiled. "But I was thinking about physical strength more than inner strength."

"She's got both, really. She's honestly one of the strongest people I've ever met," Jon couldn't help but smile back.

"We know that now. We finally got her to talk about her feelings, too – about how disappointed she was to not be home, how much she misses you." Mark's face clouded over. "That's even worse for her than how she's being treated. She just wants to be back with you, and with the guys. You're all her family, and she's been away too long."

Jon understood the sentiment completely. But he was trying to see the positives in the situation…it was the only way he could keep from going crazy. "I know, Mark, but I can't tell you how much better I feel – we all feel – that she's found all of you," he said firmly. "There's no way I could do this if I couldn't tell from her letters how much you've all come to mean to her. Knowing she has people to lean on…it makes a big difference."

"We'll be there as long as she needs us." The conviction in his voice buoyed Jon's spirits another notch. "She's petitioned the Council for a hearing, but they're hiding behind procedures right now. She's determined to go see each of them individually to plead her case." He laughed again. "She has no fear, that one. They have to see her eventually. In the meantime, we're trying to keep her busy. Vi's still letting her stay at the house for free because of all the repairs and upgrades Pip's doing for her. Of course, the rest of us know that the real reason she's refusing to be paid for the room is because of how your Major Masterson feels about her. Vi says he talks about her like he used to talk about his daughter sometimes."

Jon smiled. "Yeah, I've noticed that, too."

"Well, even everything Vi has for her to do isn't keeping her completely busy. And, unfortunately, word has gotten around about her past. She's gotten the cold shoulder from more than a few people." Mark's voice was a growl now, which helped Jon feel moderately less like punching something. "Lottie's letting her help out in the kitchen, and Kelly and I have gotten her out of the house a few times. I think if we let her, she'd stay holed up in that workshop of hers all day except for the appointments she's trying to make with people to plead her case. It's good to get her out from time to time. Sam and his wife, Patty? They've invited her over for next week. And we all got together on Sunday at Vi's, had a big old-fashioned Sunday dinner out in the garden."

Jon thought of how well they knew her – they were working hard to keep her busy. "All the visits, the repairs – it's exactly what she needs. She hates being idle."

"Yeah, we've all realized that." He reached into his pack and pulled something else out. "I, uh…I thought you might like these. They're photographs. I convinced Sam to bring his camera on Sunday. It's a hobby of his. She doesn't know he developed them in time for me to bring them to you. I wanted you to see…really see that she's ok."

Jon reached for the photos, hardly believing that they were real. There she was. All he could do was drink in the proof that she was alive and whole and well. It was several moments before he realized that there was someone beside Jennifer in the picture Eventually, he noticed that she was smiling down at a young girl with dark pigtails who was speaking to her. "Who is that?"

Mark leaned in to see who Jon was pointing to. "Oh, that's Hannah. She's staying at Vi's with her brother and grandfather. Those two kids think the world of her – she's probably asking Jennifer a question about something. They're pretty convinced she can make or fix anything"

"They're not far off," Jon said quietly, staring at Jennifer's face.

"That's her and Kelly, laughing at something. Probably me," he admitted, as Jon moved to look at the next picture. Jennifer was sitting next to a tall, thin woman with chocolate-colored hair. Kelly had her hand on Jennifer's shoulder, and they were laughing as they looked at someone off camera. "There are several here - and there's one of Jennifer and Vi for your Major. Figured I'd spread the wealth. And there she is with Max. I think he tired her out – she played tag and hide-and-seek with them for a while after dinner. Then she was supposed to be reading to him, and we found the two of them like that a while later." There she was, with a small, red-haired boy on her lap. There was a book in her hand that was about to fall because they'd both fallen asleep. When Jon managed to tear his eyes away and look at the other man gratefully, Matt just smiled at him. "She's there, and she's ok. She's not as good as she'd be if she were with you, but she's ok. And I think that you can see – really see for yourself – from these pictures that she's not alone."

It took a minute before Jon trusted himself to speak. "Thank you, Mark…thanks."

L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L

Jon walked slowly back to his quarters, trying not to notice the fact that he passed the room they'd set aside for Jennifer on the way. Once he was alone, with the door shut behind him, he allowed himself to pull out the pictures he'd been carrying with him ever since he'd seen Mark that morning and look at them again.

The effect of the pictures on the team was palpable. They'd all been so grateful to see her, alive and well. It wasn't as good as having her home – not by a long shot – but it was still a reason to celebrate. Their plans for Jennifer's homecoming celebration had been delayed indefinitely. Mark had been pretty clear that there would not, unfortunately, be a quick fix to the situation. But seeing her face smiling back at them from the pictures still lifted their spirits. The four of them had lingered after dinner, talking and laughing – mostly memories of times when they'd all been together. But the atmosphere at the base had lifted a little.

Now he sat alone at the workstation in his quarters, staring intently at the pictures. The sight of her smile, even though it was frozen in a photograph, lifted his heart immeasurably. But the longer he stared at the images, the more he missed her. While the pictures were reassuring, they almost made him miss her even more sharply than he already did. He wanted to _hear_ her laugh. He wanted to see her eyes sparkle at _him_.

Sighing to himself, he picked the first letter up off the stack and dropped down onto his bunk. He opened it without even thinking, and began to read.

_Dear Jon,_

_I almost don't know what to say. I didn't think I'd be writing you again. I thought I'd be with you right now, actually talking to you. The last few days have been really bad. I went back to old habits…worked incessantly for a little while, and hid myself away in my workshop. I was so angry, it was all I could do._

_But I wasn't just mad. I hurt. I missed you so much I thought I'd be physically ill. I wanted to be ill, really, because then people would leave me alone and I could curl up in a ball like I wanted to. I went from being beside myself because I was so excited to almost not being able to move because I was so disappointed. I never want to say I'm sorry I feel emotions…but I could do without too many more of those days._

_Mark said you told him how to get me to talk. Again, even from so far away, you're taking care of me. And you even wrote to me. One of the worst parts about that day was knowing that Mark was going to have to meet you without me, and that you'd be upset. I don't want to hurt you any more than you've already been hurt, Jon. You have too much to worry about as it is. Please, please don't beat yourself up for not coming here. As much as I miss you, I don't want you to feel like you have to make a choice between me and the Resistance. I know how deeply you believe in what you're doing. I will be ok, and I will be there eventually. It's just not going to be on our timeline, I guess._

_It took me several days, but with the help of some of the people here I've realized that I can't just hide in my workshop all day (or just hijack a transport and set out to find you, either). The people who made this decision did it without ever having met me. They looked at information in a file and made a decision. I can't let them get away with that. That's not what we're fighting for. We're fighting so that people don't have to hide anymore – from Dread, or from anyone else. And if they can do it to me now, they'll find a way to do it to me or someone else once this war is over. As much as I just want you guys to come in 'bust me out of here', as Scout would say, I'm going to have to fight this on their terms. So I have some people to talk to, and I've already started making some contacts. Kelly said it took me long enough – she said that it wasn't like me to mope, and she had been waiting for my stubborn streak to wake up. I guess it has. You know, between them standing so solidly behind me here and you and the guys pulling for me back home…I'll make it through this. We'll make it through this._

_I love you. And I miss you more than I ever thought was possible. But I'm going to be ok. Please don't worry about me – I promise to eat, and to rest. And to not give up. Don't you give up either, ok?_

_Love,_

_Jennifer_

By the time Jon finished the letter, there was a small smile on his face. She'd always been fairly intuitive, but how she was able to do it from such a distance was beyond him. She knew him so well that she was able to ease his mind, even though he couldn't actually talk to her and tell her how he was feeling at the moment. And the determination he'd heard from her as she talked about fighting back…_that_ was the strong, independent woman he missed so much.

He needed some sleep so that he could clear his head. He had worried all week, but now that he had proof in his hands that she was coping, he could rest. Before he laid down for the night, he took one more look at the picture of Jennifer when she'd fallen asleep reading to Max. She was there, and she was fighting to get back to him. For the first time in a week, he was out when his head hit the pillow.


	15. Chapter 15

Pleading her case turned out to be more difficult than Jennifer had expected. Though Vi had protested, she'd made several attempts to meet with William Stanton. However, he had refused to even allow her make an appointment to see him. She had tried several times, but had not managed to get past his assistant.

She then had decided that one way to plead her case was to personally visit each person on the Council in their offices. She'd already visited Vi's friend Martin Hummel. He struck her as a naturally kind man that had no backbone whatsoever…no wonder why Vi had discouraged him when he'd shown an interest in her. He had smiled, shook her hand, and led her to a chair in front of his desk. He had sympathized with her when she tried to explain that she simply wanted a chance to go back and fight so that someday the entire world could be as safe as Eden was. She'd given him a basic explanation of her background, how far she'd come, and how Jon and the team had helped her along the way. Hummel had smiled, nodded, and frowned in all of the right places, and she'd thought that maybe they were getting somewhere. She just needed _one_ of the Council members to support her request for a hearing. But when she'd asked Hummel if he would be willing to do that, the color drained from his face. He'd stammered about being busy, and how many pressing issues were on the Council's agenda. The funny thing was, he wouldn't actually tell her no, either. He'd simply told her he'd consider it. Then he'd claimed he had an appointment, got up, and led her to the door.

"That's Martin," Vi had sighed. "He is a habitual waffler. We know the Council is in Stanton's back pocket…I'd hoped that Martin would grow a bit of a backbone once he'd had a chance to meet you, but apparently I expected too much. You're better off trying one of the others."

So she had. So far, she'd visited four of the Council members, and had appointments with two more. She'd just finished meeting with the head of the Council, Brandon Wright, this morning. He was also welcoming, but Jennifer knew halfway through the meeting that she was getting nowhere. And when the man had started to list off the same reasons for keeping her there that the official document they'd produced when this whole mess started, she knew she was done. As soon as she could, she'd excused herself. That was basically what had happened with the other two Council members she'd seen between Martin Hummel and Wright.

She left Wright's office and was headed out of the building it was housed in when she heard him. "Miss Chase, isn't it?"

She stopped, looking around for a familiar face. She finally realized that the sound had come from an elderly gentleman sitting on a bench near the door to the building. He was thin, with tufts of white hair covering his head. He was dressed formally, and his bearing was that of someone who was well-off. He rested his arms on a cane, and his face wore a bland smile.

"Um…yes, I'm Jennifer Chase. Can I help you?"

The man had simply smiled at her, and looked up at the sky. "Beautiful day, isn't it, Miss Chase? Spring in Eden is just lovely."

Jennifer had looked around her at the green trees, the flowers…"Yes, it is."

"Aren't we fortunate to be able to experience these things?"

Jennifer's senses were telling her that something was amiss, but she continued to smile what she hoped was a friendly smile. "Yes, we are."

"Even though some of us might not deserve it?"

The smile faded from her face. "I'm sorry…have we met?"

The man was still sitting in the same spot, his face free from concern. "No, we haven't met personally met yet, Miss Chase. But I know a lot about you. I'm a thorough man, you know – like to cover all my bases."

Though she was starting to get an idea of what she was dealing with, she remained polite. Temper wouldn't get her anywhere. "And you are…?"

"William Stanton. Please forgive me for my manners," he said, indicating his still-seated position, "but I'm getting on in years, and my knees aren't quite what they used to be. A lot of getting up and down can bother them."

Jennifer was taken aback. This was the man that was behind the mess she was in – the one that supposedly controlled what the Council did. She struggled to reconcile the almost frail-looking man in front of her with the picture she'd formed in her head. She found it hard, but she kept her composure. "Well, I finally get to meet you. I didn't think you had any time for me, Mr. Stanton. What can I do for you now?"

"It's my understanding that you are trying to convince someone to sponsor your petition to the Council. I was disappointed to hear that. One would think that simply being here would be enough to make even a former Dread Youth feel grateful."

Jennifer didn't let herself show any kind of reaction. She'd been treated poorly by people she didn't even know before…it wasn't anything new. There was only one difference: she had expected it then. It had come as she'd entered a new place, or met someone new. But this wasn't that type of situation. He'd taken her by surprise. Every instinct she had was now on alert. She might not be on the type of battlefield she was used to, but she could recognize a fight when she saw one.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Mr. Stanton. We obviously have a difference of opinion."

"Oh, yes. You see, unlike some of the other residents here, I'm not easily swayed by your sad story about how you were taken by Dread before you could even remember, about how you 'saw the light' and escaped. I'm not fooled for a minute by your claims that you've rediscovered what it means to be human, and while the illustrious Captain Power himself might have fallen under your spell, I most definitely have not." The man's face never changed – the benign smile stayed put. Anyone that could see them – but not hear their conversation – might think he was asking her about the weather. She no longer thought of him as frail, however.

Jennifer shook her head. "You don't pull any punches, do you Mr. Stanton?"

"What would be the point of that, Miss Chase?  
>"Then you should know that I don't, either." She straightened up and looked him straight in the eye. "For the record, it's <em>Corporal<em> Chase. I've earned that rank, by the way. It has nothing to do with any sort of 'spell' that I've put on anyone. I have poured my heart into fighting Dread and everything he stands for ever since I escaped. And it was an _escape_, no matter what you think. I have found a home – and a family – among people who feel the same as I do. All I want to do is to go back where I belong – back where I can do some good. You may be content to sit here and enjoy this amazing life, but I won't be until my family – and every other human being that's left on this planet – can enjoy it, as well." And with that, she turned to walk away.

"You speak well, _Miss_ Chase. I can see why you have won the friends you have." Despite herself, Jennifer stopped. She didn't turn back to him, but she stopped. So she heard him when he continued. "But you might as well make yourself comfortable in that little repair shack of yours. You'll be working there for quite some time. You can talk to all the people that you want, but you're staying put. I'm going to make sure of that."

Stanton watched her leave, the smile growing and becoming more hateful as the space between them grew.

"You think you've won, don't you William?"

"I saw you standing there, Colonel, even if she didn't. I'm surprised you didn't jump in and help her."

"She didn't need my help," Vi said simply. "She can stand on her own two feet. She's been doing it for a long time now. That girl is stronger than most others I've seen." She walked closer to the bench Stanton sat on. "And she has plenty of people supporting her. You can't poison everyone's mind. And don't try that 'I'm getting old' crap with me. You're just as fit as I am. You've been getting around just as much as she has. If I didn't know better, I'd think you're getting worried."

Stanton chuckled. "Wishful thinking, Colonel."

"Is it?" Vi asked. "You approached her. You tried to ignore her at first, but now you're suddenly seeking her out. Looks nervous to me."

"Think what you want," Stanton said, his voice becoming a snarl. "That woman is a security risk. She doesn't deserve to be here, and she sure as hell can't be trusted to go back to the outside and keep our secret. I won't allow this place to be discovered, and I won't allow our lives to be put in danger just so that a Dread soldier can have her 'happy ever after'."

Vi stared at him. "You are a sad, terrified old man, William Stanton," she said simply. "You cannot dictate policy for this entire settlement. You can't spread your hate and fear to every single person here, no matter how hard you try. And she's going to turn out to be the one that proves you wrong." Stanton scowled even deeper at the confident smile on Vi's face. "You have no idea who you're up against. Then again, if you did, we wouldn't be having this conversation, and she'd be home where she belongs."

_...You would have been proud of her, Matt. She still has no idea that I was there, and was close enough to hear what was said. She told us the basics later on, but she didn't make Stanton sound nearly as hateful as he actually was. I hate that she had to experience that, but I tell you, Stanton just put the nails in his own coffin. He did nothing but turn that stubborn streak on even harder than it was before. You know Jennifer. I was a little worried about her when this mess first started, but she's gotten back up on her feet and has come out swinging. When she did tell us the story that night over dinner, the fire in her eyes was almost palpable. She's managed to get appointments with all but three of the remaining Council members. She's even started venturing out a little further from home. She'd been keeping pretty close to my place, or at least Kelly or Barton's, before this. But something about meeting up with Stanton got her moving. She's running more errands for me, chatting with people she meets in the market, and just doing more getting out and less hiding. I think it's good for her. Tell Jon that she's fighting as hard as ever, and if sheer stubbornness could transport her to you, she'd be there already._

Matt finished re-reading Vi's letter and put it down with a sigh. Jon had mentioned that in one of Jennifer's letters, she had described actually meeting Stanton. Jon had seemed frustrated that he hadn't seemed willing to listen to her, but he hadn't seemed upset. Matt was pretty certain that she hadn't shared all the details with him. Not that he could blame her. After all, what could Jon do about hateful people back in Eden? Jennifer would know that he would worry even more than he already did, and there wasn't any point in that.

But Matt worried. He found himself worrying about it more and more ever since they'd gotten word about the mess Jennifer was facing in Eden. Jon was a second son to him, and Jennifer…well, he'd meant what he'd said when they sent her to Eden. He wanted these two people that were so important to him to have a chance to be happy. He didn't think for a minute it would be easy for them to try and carry on a real relationship in the middle of a war. But after the war they'd have a chance for a normal life. He didn't doubt that what they felt for each other was real and lasting – he'd known Jon too long to think otherwise. There wasn't a single person in Jon's past that had touched him the way Jennifer had. And he'd heard the depth of emotion - the certainty - in Jennifer's voice as she said what she thought was goodbye back in December. There was none of the confusion she'd experienced when it had come to emotions in the past. Assuming they both made it through alive – he refused to think of the alternative there, after watching Jon believe she was dead for two days – they'd build a life together, and they'd be happy.

Or at least, he hoped they would. But even after the war, there would still be ignorant, hateful people. The situation with Stanton proved that. Matt knew what would always happen in that type of situation. Jennifer would always quietly and steadfastly continue to work to change their minds. Jon…Jon would get angry with them for judging the woman he loved so much. But they shouldn't have to live that way, not after all the sacrifices they'd made. Matt was realizing now how important it was for Jennifer to win this particular battle. It wasn't just about her being kept against her will. It was about making people think before they made a judgment about something they knew nothing of.

"Hawk? Report to the hangar. We've intercepted a distress call from one of the settlements on the west coast."

Matt looked up at Jon's voice and activated his communicator. "On my way, Captain." He turned off the reader containing Vi's letter and placed it back in his drawer - he'd finish it later. As he headed down the corridor to the jump ship, he thought about Jennifer and how hard she'd fought to get to where she was even before she'd been injured. It was lucky that they'd found her when she'd escaped so long ago. Come to think of it, she'd had quite the string of luck. They'd been lucky that the tech at the Passages had detected the sound of the digitizer in the last transmission from the old base. They'd been lucky Mark had been the courier on duty that day in January or they might not have had any contact with her at all. Jennifer had been lucky that Kelly had been on duty the day she'd arrived in Eden, or she might not have made a friend that had helped her through all the struggles she'd faced. She'd been lucky that Vi had arrived before her and been able to welcome Jennifer into her home... Matt paused. When he thought about it, they'd had an amazing run of luck throughout this ordeal. If he'd been a religious man, he'd have thought that someone, somewhere was looking out for them.

"Whoever you are...maybe you could keep it up for a little while longer?" he thought to himself with a smile as he neared the hangar.


	16. Chapter 16

"Where are we going, again?" Jennifer looked out the transport windows at the green sprouting up from the ground in the fields they were passing. She didn't know if she'd ever grow accustomed to the sight of such abundant crops growing out in the open.

"I told you, I need your advice on this one." Vi glanced at her passenger out of the corner of her eye as they continued down the road out of town. "Trust me when I tell you that your…particular expertise… is needed here."

"I still don't understand. How could I possibly help, unless they need something repaired? If they do, there are plenty of people around who could do that. You don't have to keep sending me jobs – I have more credits than I could use in a while at this point."

It had been a month – _a whole month_ – since she should have been home, and despite all of the attempts she and her friends had made, she still had two Council members to visit. One of them wouldn't even make an appointment to see her yet. She still hadn't been granted a trial – she couldn't even speak in her own defense. She still wore the hated tracking device around her wrist, though she fantasized about ways to out-smart her watchers. A dampening field and a false signal, maybe, so that she could move around and they would think she was still here at Vi's when she was really out with Kelly, or over at the Barton's working on the tree house and keeping an eye on the kids for Shawn while he worked. Maybe she could actually get one of Mark's smaller transports up in the air just once. She missed flying terribly. Of course, if she could do those things, she could just go home…

But she didn't know how to get home. The new base was still a mystery to her. Besides, she believed that doing any of those things would just convince the Council that they were right in stopping her. That she _wasn't_ trustworthy, and she was capable of betraying Eden to someone on the outside. So she had to be patient - which was never one of her stronger qualities - and work within the system. It was fun to dream, though…Convinced her friend was just trying to keep her busy, Jennifer shook her head. "It's ok, Vi – you don't have to worry about me getting out more."

"No, it's not that. It's…you'll see. We're here." They came to a stop before a small home built into the side of a hill to help dampen signals as well as save energy on heating and cooling. Many of the outer structures that Jennifer had seen in her time here were similar. Farther away from the main dampening fields, energy use had to be disguised. Kelly led Jennifer to the door and knocked quietly.

An older woman warily answered the door, but relaxed when she saw Kelly. "Colonel Tucker! I didn't expect you for another day or two."

"Good evening, Mary, and please – it's Vi." She smiled warmly at the woman, who still seemed a little nervous even though she'd recognized her. "I brought my friend along – the one you asked about. This is Jennifer Chase. Jennifer, this is Mary Schultz."

Mary's eyes focused for the first time on Jennifer. They widened considerably, and then she smiled. "Of course. How wonderful for you to come out to see us!"

Jennifer was still confused. Mary was looking at her as though she had been expecting her, and – even more disconcerting – as if Jennifer held the answer to a problem she'd been trying to solve. Her body language changed drastically as she opened the door and motioned them in. She seemed to relax. "I'll call for the girls. They're out helping Tim in the barn."

Jennifer and Vi sat down in the small front room. "Vi," Jennifer said quietly once Mary had left, "could you please explain to me what we're doing here?"

"Mary and Tim contacted me last week. They're…in need of some advice. Tim had seen me in town with you, so he thought that it'd be easiest to make contact with you through me."

"Contact me?" Jennifer shook her head. "None of this makes sense."

"It will when you meet the girls. You see, the Schultz family is new here in Eden. They adopted two girls before they came here. Mary and Tim met up with them a little over a year ago – they were alone and had no one to take care of them. Mary and Tim had lost their children in the war, and they all kind of latched onto each other. They've been caring for them ever since. The girls consider Mary and Tim their parents. Eventually, Tim heard of Eden as he ran into others trying to survive out there. He wasn't sure it was the right thing for them, but they were tired of running, so he managed to get them into one of the convoys. Tim was a farmer by trade before the Metal Wars, so they settled out here to work this area of land. It seemed to be a safer place for them to raise the girls – better than in town, where everyone knows everyone else."

"Safer?" Jennifer's instincts went up another notch. "Why are they worried about being safe in Eden?"

"Vi?" Mary had returned. "The girls are just about done getting washed up. Can I get you two anything to drink?"

Still confused, and frustrated that Vi hadn't been able to finish her story, Jennifer politely declined. She heard voices coming down the hall, and turned to see the newcomers. As they came into the room, it was suddenly clear why the Schultzes had asked for her help, why Mary had seemed so thankful that she had come.

She was looking at two young girls – the older one might have been a very young teenager, the younger one was maybe ten. They seemed very startled to see her. She could read curiosity and fear in their eyes as they saw her – eyes the same color as hers,, staring out at her from two blonde heads just like her own. They stood stiffly before her, unsure of exactly how to react.

They had been Dread Youth.

_…I'm sure you could imagine how surprised I was! It wasn't what I was expecting. But Vi told me later that Mary and Tim are very protective of the girls, and they had begged her not to say anything to me until I met them. They actually sought Vi out because Tim saw us in town one day and immediately recognized me. But that's when it got out about my past, when they blocked me from leaving. All that attention spooked them a bit, so they decided to wait a little while before approaching me._

_Apparently, Mary and Tim found them one afternoon when they were scavenging for supplies in a settlement that had been abandoned. They were tired, hungry, and scared. Katherine, the older girl, apparently tried to shoot Tim from their hiding place in one of the buildings, but she'd injured her hand and her aim was off. Once Tim realized who was shooting at him, he talked her into coming out by promising to share some of their rations. That's when they met Sarah, too. She'd been hiding since they'd only managed to scavenge one weapon to defend themselves with. Eventually, the girls told them that they'd been on a transport that was bringing them to their newest assignment – one of the medlabs – when it was attacked by a Resistance cell. Most of the people onboard died in the initial attack, and the ones that didn't tried to fight. Somehow, the two girls found cover, since they had no weapons at the time and didn't want to be captured. When the fight was over, none of Dread's forces were left standing, but the girls were convinced someone would come to find them. They hid there the entire night. They slowly come to the realization that no one was coming back for them, and it shook their faith in the Machine. Katherine took over and found food and shelter for them. They'd been wandering for months when they found Mary and Tim, from what the girls have told them. But it made it easier for Mary and Tim to win their trust over the next few days, and they eventually asked the girls to travel with them. They've pretty much been a family ever since._

_It sounds like they've been working on a lot of the same things you guys worked on with me. They had a chance to do a lot of talking as they wandered and hid. While they didn't have the resources to use that you guys did with me – no books, no music recordings, that kind of stuff – Tim is apparently a great storyteller, and was very well-read before the wars. They were able to talk about the land, and what it used to be like. Mary's got amazing knowledge of medicines and herbs, and she's teaching it to the girls. But mostly, they've talked about being human – about emotions, about laughter, about all those things that were so foreign to me when I first found all of you. I talked to the girls for a little while that first night. They're doing really well. They still have questions, and they still struggle. They also really don't want to go into town because of the way some people reacted to them before they came here. That's part of the reason why Tim was unsure about bringing them here at all – they were worried about the reactions they'd get. So he and Mary were glad to be offered the chance to work on the farm, where the girls could stay and learn for a while without anyone judging them. Then he heard about me, and what the Council did, and they decided they'd lay low for a while longer. But Tim and Mary love the girls like their own, and they wanted them to have someone to talk to that understood what they were going through. So they finally reached out._

_It was amazing…all those times I tried to reach the Youth members that we fought against, all the arguing that I did with them, all the times I was frustrated because I couldn't get through – but I wasn't completely sure where to start when I was face to face with these two girls. I finally just asked them to show me around the farm because I hadn't ever been to one before. They're proud of the work they're helping Tim and Mary with. They're both bright, inquisitive girls, and they're already acclimating to "being organic" pretty well for as long as they've been working at it. Sarah has it easier – she's almost 10, and hadn't been exposed for as long as Katherine. Katherine will be ok, too, I think. But she seems to have a lot more questions than Sarah, and the answers had better make sense to her or she'll just refuse to believe them. And according to Vi, being 13 brings up its own set of issues that have nothing to do with the Dread Youth, and she's dealing with them at the same time she's trying to deal with acclimating to being human at all._

_We ended up staying for dinner, and then went back to Vi's. I wasn't sure if I was helping much until Sarah asked me if I'd come back. I told her that I would, and we made plans to head back out in a few days. Katherine didn't say much – I think I still have some work to do to gain her trust. I talked to Kelly about the whole situation when she came by after her shift, and once she got over her surprise she laughed and said that Vi definitely won the award for finding the best project to keep me busy. She volunteered to go out to the farm with me to give the girls a health check-up, to avoid making them come into town before they're ready. I think that the more people the girls are exposed to, the better – but for now I'm going to make sure that it's only those people who we trust._

_I'm torn between wanting to show these girls some of the amazing things here in Eden that could help them adapt…and keeping them protected on the farm where no one will stare at them and whisper like some do with me. I could really use one of your talks right now – you could always help me work through things. I miss just talking with you. I miss a lot of things, but I really miss talking to you. But now that I've met Katherine and Sarah, I'm starting to think that I was supposed to be here a little longer than we expected. If nothing else, there's even more of a reason for me to fight the Council's ruling now. If they're capable of doing this to me, what could they do to Katherine and Sarah? You know, we always thought I was the only one in this situation. The chances of us running into this family were slim to none out there. We most likely never would have met them if I hadn't come to Eden. And if I'd have been able to go home when I was dismissed…well, I would have been much happier, but I wouldn't have the chance to help the girls. And with Stanton's group, you can be sure that they'd figure things out about their past eventually, even if I had managed to leave before they found out about my past. Kelly calls it "divine intervention." I don't know, but it makes me feel slightly better about being away from you to think that there's a purpose for all of this. …_

Jon leaned back onto his bunk, thinking about the contents of Jennifer's letter. He had to wonder about how nervous the girls' parents must have been. Even now, while the team didn't hide Jennifer's past, they didn't broadcast it, either. It was a way of protecting her from some of the hate she was experiencing in Eden right now. But it would have been worth the risk if they'd have been able to find someone to help Jennifer get through that time when she'd first joined them. Someone to answer her questions, to anticipate some of the things she might not understand. She insisted that they had done everything she could have asked for when she'd first came to them, but it would have been a lot smoother if they'd had someone who had already been through it.

Now, Jon knew without a doubt that no one could help the Schultz girls better than Jennifer. No one else that they knew of had been through the kind of experiences they had been. No one else knew the full extent of what it meant to regain their humanity like Jennifer did. Of course, that meant that there was no way on earth that Jennifer would give up trying to change the Council's mind. It wasn't just herself she was fighting for now. It was for these two girls, not to mention any other former members of the Dread Youth that might be out there that they didn't know about. Jon shook his head, smiling slightly. Not that she needed another reason to fight, but…Jennifer was one of the most determined people he knew. This was only going to make her work harder. Hopefully, he'd have her back sooner rather than later.

His eyes scanned the letter again. He could see Kelly's willingness to believe that there was someone or something that had an underlying plan that made all of the craziness actually make sense. "A purpose for all of this," Jennifer had called it. Maybe…just maybe he could see that.


	17. Chapter 17

"How would you like to come to a birthday party?"

Jennifer was walking back from the barn with Katherine and Sarah when she posed the question. She had been coming out to the farm several times a week for the past three weeks, and she'd discussed the idea with their parents first. Whatever reaction she'd expected to her question, however, the blank stares that Katherine and Sarah were giving her weren't it. Jennifer knew from Tim and Mary that they had "selected" birth dates for both girls when they'd entered Eden. It was a question that came up on the census forms that were filled out when entering the settlement. So Jennifer knew the girls were familiar with the concept of birthdays. She silently reminded herself of how she hadn't understood the concept when the guys first brought it up to her, either.

"What is it?" Sarah's nature was to question, Jennifer had learned. She was a little less blunt than Katherine, but was still prone to using a tone or a phrase that would make people who weren't aware of her background a little uncomfortable. And her natural curiosity about everyone and everything around her couldn't be quelled.

"Well, my friend Mark's birthday is in a few days, and we're having a big dinner to celebrate. We'll eat together – Lottie will even make a cake – and he'll open his presents." Still blank stares. "It's mainly a reason to come together and spend time with people you care about."

"They aren't people _we_ care about," Katherine pointed out. "We don't know them." There was the bluntness. Jennifer addressed the confusion first – she'd work on the etiquette later.

"Well, you do know some of us. You know me –"

"We care about you," Sarah said simply. "You've been able to answer a lot of our questions."

Jennifer smiled down at her as they neared the farmhouse. "I care about you, as well," she said, laying a hand on the girl's shoulder. She suspected that hugs from anyone but their parents were a little too much to handle at the moment. "That's why I wanted to invite you. I think you'd enjoy it. Besides, you do know several people who will be there. Colonel Tucker will be there, and so will my friend Kelly. You remember – she came out and gave you two check-ups last week."

"She was nice," Sarah commented. "But will there be other people we don't know?"

"Yes, there will. Mark, for one – he's the birthday guy. And a few others. A friend of mine will be there with his grandchildren. Wouldn't it be nice to spend some time with other people closer to your age? In fact, Sarah, Hannah is in the same grade as you in school."

Sarah's eyes narrowed. "What if she doesn't like me? What if she asks about where I was from before we came here? Mother says we need to be careful around other people."

"Well, for the record, your mother and father would be coming as well. And I doubt Hannah would ask you where you were from the first time she met you. For most kids, that's a subject that wouldn't come up until they knew you a little better."

"Do I have to stay if I don't like it?"

Jennifer gave in and chuckled. "No, I'm sure that if you were that unhappy, your parents would leave early and bring you home." When Sarah seemed content with her exit plan, should she need it, Jennifer turned to Katherine. "What do you think, Katherine?" The older girl was quiet for a few moments, but Jennifer could tell she was trying to sort something out. "What is it, Katherine? You know you can ask me."

"What is the point of celebrating a specific day?" Katherine looked into Jennifer's eyes, confusion on her face. "Mother talked about birthday parties she used to go to once, and how they used to be fun for her. Father has told us stories about holidays that he spent with his family. While I can see that gathering with people you care about could be enjoyable, what makes those days more special than the others?" She shook her head and sighed. "Days like that were obviously important to my parents at one time. I just don't understand."

Jennifer just smiled. She couldn't help it this time – she gently laid an arm around each girl's shoulder, watching carefully for signs of discomfort. "Oh, you two remind me so much of me when I first started this journey," she said. "I asked so many of the same questions you are asking now."

"Father says I ask so many questions that I'm going to run out of room to store all the answers in my brain some day," Sarah said simply.

"He's teasing you, Sarah. Remember, that's something people do when they care about each other. None of us – your parents, me, Colonel Tucker – want you to stop asking questions. Because sometimes we forget that there's so much you haven't experienced." She sat down on the grass not far from the door and patted the ground beside her, indicating that the girls should sit, too. "Let's see…holidays and birthdays. You're right – they are important to people. And you're also right that they're a time to gather with people you care about. It's a time to share a special meal, and sometimes to give people a gift that shows them how special they are to you. But it's more than that, too. Lots of people, especially these days, don't have the means to give gifts or have special meals." She paused for a moment, wanting to choose her words carefully. "When I had the same questions you do, my friend Scout told me that birthdays were important because they were reminders that we're alive. We're still here, despite everything Dread has thrown at us. Just that simple fact is a reason to be happy. And when people are happy, it's natural to want to share that happiness with other people."

Katherine stared at her silently for a moment. Jennifer knew the behavior by now – she was simply considering what she'd been told, turning it over in her mind and deciding whether or not it seemed valid to her. The fact that she hadn't said anything yet told Jennifer she wasn't convinced. "Special days like this also help us celebrate being human," Jennifer said simply. "Dread wanted to take that away from us. He wanted us to believe that being human was a curse, not a blessing. He didn't want us to know how happy we could be just sharing a meal with friends and family, or how connected we could feel to others when we shared a tradition.

"So, what do you say, Katherine? Would you like to go to your first birthday party?" Jennifer paused until she saw Katherine start to nod her head.

"I think I would enjoy another victory against Dread," she said simply.

Inside the house, just out of sight but able to hear the conversation on her lawn, Mary smiled to herself. Jennifer had been out to the farm almost every other day since her first visit, and those visits had come to mean a lot to the girls - and therefore to Mary and Tim. Not that she didn't worry - the situation with Jennifer and the Council scared Mary to the point where she sometimes didn't want to let the girls out of her sight, let alone into town. She knew, logically, that she couldn't do that. But she was their mother in every sense of the word except giving birth to them, and she loved them fiercely. She didn't want them to go through any more pain than they already had. Jennifer was helping them through so many of the things that confused them because she'd already been through them.

Mary was fiercely proud of her girls for how hard they'd worked, and how far they'd come. But this young woman was bringing them even farther. Mary knew that Jennifer longed to go home, and she hoped that the powers that be would see reason soon and let her go. But a part of her knew that every day Jennifer Chase was in Eden was another day her girls could grow.

L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L

"Kelly!" Kelly's head rose from the monitor she was watching at the nurse's station. It was three hours before the end of her shift – why was Jennifer running down the hallway towards her? She hadn't been back to the hospital since she'd been dismissed…

"Kelly, she's going to do it! She's going to sponsor my petition! They're finally going to listen to me!"

A wide grin spread across Kelly's face. "Jen, that's wonderful! You finally got through to one of them!" She threw her arms around her friend and hugged her tightly, then noticed the looks they were getting from other staff members. "Come in here and tell me all about it," she said, pulling Jennifer into an empty room and shutting the door. "Now, spill. Who did you have an appointment with today?"

"Councilwoman Chambers – Rebecca Chambers. She wasn't there for the original vote, and she'd been so hard to get an appointment with. She admitted to me that she didn't want to get involved at first. But she listened – she _really_ listened – and she thinks the others need to hear the whole story, too. She's pretty certain that no one really debated the original decision. She said all Stanton would have had to do was say it needed to be done and he'd have had a majority vote. I get the feeling she's not a big fan of his."

"Finally – a Council member with some sense."

Jennifer laughed out loud. "She actually apologized for being so hard to get in touch with. She said that one of the other Council members had asked her if she'd spoken to me yet – apparently, someone else is having doubts. Chambers didn't say who it was, but the fact that someone else was willing to consider my side of the story convinced her she needed to see me. I was there for two hours – I told her much more than I'd told the others. We wrote up the paperwork for the official petition, and she gave me some suggestions for what I needed to emphasize when I talk to the Council. She really believes I'm going to get there, Kelly. She's sure of it, in fact." Jennifer's eyes were wide, and she couldn't seem to stop smiling. "She said that they would probably set a hearing date within the next two days. That means they should hear my case within the next few weeks!"

"Jen, that's fantastic! We need to celebrate – I can't wait to tell Mark when he gets back from his run this evening. We'll tell him we have a belated birthday present for him," she laughed.

"I wish I'd have been able to get word to Jon – it'll be a whole week before he reads the letter I'll write him tonight."

"Whenever he reads it, he'll be excited. This is finally it, Jen – it's the first step to going home." Kelly hugged her friend again, then opened the door to the room. "Unfortunately, I have a few more hours before I get off, but once I do I'll head right to Vi's. You go home and share the good news."

As Jennifer fairly flew back down the hallway, Kelly couldn't help but notice the smiles she garnered from the people she passed. She was almost vibrating with happiness – Kelly hadn't seen her like this since the day they'd been packing up the ship when she thought she was going home. It was impossible not to smile back at her. Tonight's meal would be full of hope and excitement. Kelly glanced at her watch…maybe she could come up with an excuse to go visit Sam down in PT. He'd want to hear the good news as well. Things were finally looking up for their friend.


	18. Chapter 18

_Dear Jennifer,_

_Mark just told me about the hearing on Monday. I haven't read your letter yet, but I wanted to write to you quickly and let you know that we'll all be pulling for you so that he could take this back with him and give it to you before the hearing. _

_I wish I could be there to help you through this! I hate that you're going to be put in a position to defend yourself again for things that you had no control over. Just remember that, no matter what their prejudices are, you've just as much a right to exist – and to be happy – as anyone else does. You have a knack for making people see logic. If you can talk me into letting you walk into Medlab One, you can make these people see reason._

_I know that we don't know for certain how this hearing will go, but Mark seems fairly certain that just having the chance to speak to the Council is a major step in the right direction. I can't think of anything else to say right now other than I love you. Just let them see the real you. They won't stand a chance._

_Love,_

_Jon_

Jennifer finished reading and slipped the already well-worn note into her pocket. She checked her appearance in the mirror one last time – it wasn't something she often worried about, but she knew the importance of making a first impression. Kelly had helped her pick out something to wear last night, as she still didn't have much experience in that regard. Vi had watched her so closely all morning, urging her to eat and rest, that she'd eventually slipped away to Mark's workshop and lost herself in an engine that needed repair. Many of the other techs there knew her well enough now that they all wished her well as she left just a few hours before her hearing was scheduled to start. She had choked down as many bites of her dinner as she could to satisfy Vi, then excused herself to her room. Getting ready didn't calm her down, and neither did listening to music or reading. She'd finally resorted to pulling out Jon's letters and re-reading them. She wished with every fiber of her being that he was here to stand beside her through this. But she'd defended herself without him before – at Oasis, she'd been by herself, too. If she could do it at Oasis, when she'd been in danger of being harmed because of what she'd done so long ago, she could do it now. She took a deep breath, felt in her pocket for Jon's note, and headed down the stairs to where she knew her newest friends were waiting to accompany her.

"We will now hear the case of Corporal Jennifer Chase."

Beside Kelly, Jennifer took a deep breath and rose. Kelly caught her hand and squeezed it, then grabbed Mark's and held on for dear life as she watched her friend walk up to the seat at a long table that faced the eight men and women that made up the Council. Kelly hated that Jennifer had to sit there alone. No one doubted that she was strong enough – but it wasn't right. No one should have to do something like this without a friendly face to look at. At least Rebecca Chambers gave her an encouraging smile as she sat down. Chambers seemed fairly confident that Jennifer could make the Council see reason. Kelly studied the faces of the other seven members to see if she could detect any sign that the others had changed their minds. It was impossible to tell from where Kelly was seated.

The chairman of the Council read aloud a statement that explained how they'd been informed about her history as a member of the Dread Youth, and the actions that they'd decided upon in an emergency meeting right before they'd arrived at the hangar to stop Jennifer's flight back home. He then invited Jennifer to begin. Not for the first time, Kelly marveled at the amount of inner strength her friend possessed as she watched Jennifer square her shoulders and adjust the microphone. Big things did come in small packages, she thought with a smile.

The first two rows seemed to collectively hold their breaths. They were filled with people who considered Jennifer a friend, including Vi, Mark, Kelly, Shawn Barton, Sam, and Tim Schultz. They all listened intently as she described for them her history – her first memories in the Youth, some of what her childhood had been like. Then she described her realization that everything she'd been taught was a lie, her fear at being discovered and eventual flight during a raid. Emotion filled her voice when she talked about how she'd survived on her own before she had met up with the Power team. She detailed everything she'd had to re-learn, the struggles she'd faced as she'd rediscovered her humanity, and how she had slowly begun to trust the men who became her family.

She talked about the distrust she'd faced when she'd started going on missions with the team – how no matter what she did, there were always people who refused to trust her because of her past. And how she'd continued to help, anyway. Everyone in the room could hear the passion in her voice when she spoke of helping the people still suffering from Dread's actions. She talked about how she felt a responsibility to fight Dread as long as it took, because he'd taken so much from her and from so many others. How staying here and being safe could never be enough for her because she had a job to do. How Eden was never meant to be a permanent solution for her, not because she wasn't happy there, but because her heart was out in the fight with Dread.

She thanked the Council for hearing her testimony, and waited. After a few moments of silence, they turned to one another and began whispered conversations. It was obvious that they did not all agree with each other from their body language. Jennifer never glanced back at her friends, but continued to stare up at the people discussing her fate as some of them became agitated at one another. Finally, the chairman stood and addressed those gathered in the room. "It is obvious that we have matters to discuss. I don't believe they will be completed in time to come to a decision this evening. We will meet again in two days' time to inform you of our decision. Thank you, Corporal Chase, for your time."

Kelly saw Jennifer turn back to them, and had to turn away for a moment so that her friend wouldn't see the tears in her eyes. More waiting. Would it ever end? That's when her eyes fell on a person she hadn't noticed, who must have slipped in after they'd taken their seats. William Stanton's gaze was locked on the Council members who were now exiting the room through a separate door. The look on his face was cold and angry. But that was nothing at all compared to the look that crossed his face when his eyes left the now closed door and rested on Jennifer. Kelly nudged Mark. "Look at Stanton – do you see how he's looking at her?"

Mark followed her gaze, and his expression turned dark. "Yeah, I see it. I think we're going to have to keep our guard up. Stanton's going to do everything he can to make sure the Council does what he wants them to. It might be our job to remind them that they represent more than one person." Stanton's gaze shifted as Jennifer joined her friends, and he inadvertently made eye contact with Mark. The younger man held his gaze, his expression fierce. "Don't mess with her," he said under his breath. Kelly had turned to hug Jennifer and hadn't heard him, but Tim came up behind Mark and stared back at Stanton as well. The old man finally turned away, but Tim had seen his expression.

"I think we might have a problem on our hands," he said softly to Mark.

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"It could have been a lot worse, couldn't it?" Jennifer asked the room at large.

They'd all gathered in the large dining room at Vi's. They were drinking coffee and picking at the dessert that Lottie had prepared for what she hoped would be a victory party. The mood was hopeful, but frustrated.

"Yes, it certainly could have," Sam agreed. "I really think that you reached many of them, Jennifer. You spoke so well, and so passionately…I don't know how they can't see you, hear what you said, and not believe you." He rose from his chair and went to stand beside her. She was having trouble settling, and had refused coffee, telling them that it would only make her more jittery. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "You know, most of us hadn't heard that whole story. Just the fact that you're here, and as caring and compassionate as you are, is a miracle. They have to realize that."

"They don't have to do anything," she replied, "but thanks." She sighed, and finally sank down into a chair. She picked up a cookie and broke a bite off, chewing slowly. "So, now we wait."

"Now we wait," Vi agreed. "I know it's awful, but I really think there's a chance. I watched their faces, Jennifer. I truly think you got to them – made them think. You're more than just a faceless person that they decided they needed to monitor now. You forced them to meet you, and now they know your story, and they know how hard you've fought to get where you are."

"Thanks, Vi. Thank you, all of you. It meant a lot to me that you were all there." She looked down into the mug of tea that Vi had handed her to try and calm her nerves. "Now I have to figure out how to keep myself busy for the next two days while I wait."

"I think I can help you with that," Tim said from his spot in the corner of the room. "I've finally convinced Mary that the girls need to get into town again. Katherine's been begging us to take her to the library."

Jennifer smiled up at him. "I'd like that very much."

"Well…I might have something that could keep you busy, too," Kelly said slowly. She glanced up at Matt, who smiled down at her and put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm going to need some help getting some things organized in the next few weeks."

"Organized? For what?" Jennifer asked her friend.

"For the wedding." Kelly's face lit up with a smile. "Mark asked me to marry him, and I said yes."

The shouts and congratulations rang out from every person in the room. Jennifer's face lost some of the tiredness that had taken over after she'd left the Council's chambers. She beamed at her friends, hugging them repeatedly and telling them how excited she was for them.

"It's not really that fast, when you think about it," Mark said when Vi teased them about rushing into such a big step. "I've known her most of my life, and I've been crazy about her for over a year now. It just took me an awfully long time to act on it. And, since Pip here is hopefully going to be leaving us soon, I had to ask Kelly now," Mark continued. "After all, this one can't be out fighting Dread when she should be at our wedding."

Jennifer looked at Kelly in amazement. "Me?"

"Yes, you goofball! Who else? Like I'd want anyone else standing up there with me on a day that important!" Kelly hugged her friend warmly. "We don't want anything big. It shouldn't be too hard to pull together quickly. But we want you here for it. So we have a lot to do before then, and I'm going to need some help."

"I don't know how much help I'll be, since I've never even _been_ to a wedding, but I'll do everything I can!" Jennifer's eyes danced as she took in her two friends - how Mark couldn't seem to be near Kelly without touching her, and the glances they kept stealing at each other, followed immediately by glowing smiles. The Council members wondered why it was so important to her to continue fighting. This was why they continued to fight, she thought – so that more people like Mark and Kelly had a chance to be happy.

Jennifer knew she'd be up late finishing her letter to Jon that night.


	19. Chapter 19

"Jennifer…can we go soon?"

Jennifer smiled at the impatient look on Sarah's face. "I think Katherine is still choosing between a few books."

"But she's looked at almost every single book here already!"

"Sarah, there's a considerable amount of books here. I think it'd take your sister about a month of looking to get through them all."

"Coulda fooled me," Sarah grumbled.

"How about we go check out the music section?" Jennifer suggested. "I think I can leave your sister here for a while without worrying that she'll get into trouble." _If I didn't tell her, she probably wouldn't notice I was gone,_ she thought to herself. After tapping Katherine on the shoulder and telling her they'd be back in a little while, she lead Sarah down the stairs. The younger girl enjoyed reading, but nowhere near as much as her older sister did. While she'd been amazed at the sheer size of the library at first, Sarah had quickly picked out a few books. She'd then managed to content herself with what Hawk would have called "people watching" for a surprising amount of time while Jennifer and Katherine had browsed the shelves.

Because she hadn't had quite as many years of indoctrination as Katherine had experienced in the Youth, her social skills were progressing much more quickly. Then again, Sarah was a naturally social person. Tim sometimes grumbled that she could stand for an hour talking to a tree, and eventually the tree would talk back just to get her to be quiet. But as they began to browse the music selection together, Sarah was unusually quiet. Actually, other than complaining about her sister, Sarah had been quiet since Jennifer had picked the girls up that afternoon.

"Are you ok, Sarah?" Jennifer asked her. "You don't seem yourself."

Sarah stopped and turned to face her friend. "Why won't they let you go home?"

Jennifer was confused. Sarah had obviously overheard her parents talking about last night's hearing. Jennifer hadn't hidden her situation from the girls. Especially once she'd been granted a hearing, the girls had asked her about her situation. "Because they aren't sure that they can trust me to keep Eden's secret safe."

"Because you used to be in the Dread Youth?"

"Yes…that's the basis of it."

"But you fight with Captain Power."

"I know that, and you know that. But not everyone here believes that's enough."

"Dad said you did a good job last night, trying to convince them. I heard him talking to Mom when he got home."

"He didn't get home till pretty late, Sarah. Weren't you in bed?"

"Yes, but I couldn't go to sleep. I had another idea for a story, so I was working it out in my head. I knew if Mom caught me writing with a flashlight again I'd be in trouble."

Jennifer smiled. Sarah's imagination was amazing now that it had free reign, and she'd taken to writing her ideas down in the form of stories or plays. It was one of the few times she was quiet, her parents often said. "Another one, huh? I'd like to read it when you're done with it."

Sarah nodded, but pressed on. "I wish Mother had let us come to the hearing." She fiddled with a recording before continuing. "What if they still don't let you go home?"

Jennifer tried to ignore the flopping of her stomach at that thought. "Then I'll keep trying to convince them."

Sarah eyed her quietly for a few minutes before saying heatedly, "It's not fair."

"I know it's not – trust me, Sarah."

"But how are they any better than Dread?"

This wasn't going to be an easy conversation, Jennifer thought. She sat down on a nearby bench, and motioned for Sarah to join her. The girl sat down next to her, but her hands were crossed over her chest and she had a very stubborn look on her face. "It's true, Jennifer – think about it. Dread wouldn't let us do what we wanted to. All he talked about was 'the will of the machine.' Now the people here won't let you do what you want to. Even though you want to go out and fight, and make it safe for people."

"It's not quite that simple, Sarah-"

"Why not? It's the same type of thing. Sometimes I wonder if you should stop fighting Dread and fight the Council instead. Maybe I should, too," she said forcefully. "I know that they're the reason Mom won't let me come into town to go to school with Hannah."

"Yes, it's part of it."

"It's not fair! Mom is always scared whenever anyone approaches the farm. Sometimes I think she'd just hide Katherine and me until the whole war is over. I don't want to be hidden – I want to be with people. I want to learn about them, and write stories about them."

"I think you do a pretty good job on your stories already."

"I want to _be_ with people, Jennifer. And because of the Council, I can't. I still say that's no better than Dread. You know how to fight Dread – why don't you fight the Council the same way?"

"Because they're not the same opponent, Sarah. They're completely different." She could tell that the girl didn't believe her, so she tried to explain more. "Dread is violent – he hurts people physically and emotionally. He has a large army at his disposal, and he controls most of the entire world. The Council only controls what's here, and they're not violent."

"They still hurt people."

"Yes, they do. They hurt people with their power, too. It's just a different type of power." Jennifer struggled to make the little girl understand how the two situations were different. "It's the difference between politics and warfare. Do you know what I mean by politics?"

"I heard Dad talking about it last week. He said fighting politics is just like fighting the war, only it's sneakier."

Jennifer had to laugh at that very apt description. "Yes, politics is more of a contest of minds than a physical contest. The thing is, Sarah, what I do out in the Resistance wouldn't work here. If I tried to do the same thing here that I do out there, I would never get my point across. No one would listen to me if I tried physically fighting them."

"Is that why you didn't just run away? I heard Dad say you could have, a long time ago."

"Yes, it is. If I run away now, I'd be doing exactly what they think I'm capable of – betraying them. I have to play the game by their rules. Here in Eden, I need to use my mind – I need to use logic, and reasoning. I need to appeal to their humanity, to the part of them that can understand the need to fight for something they believe in, and the need to be with people they love." She watched Sarah as she spoke, and hoped she was getting through to her.

"And it just so happens that Corporal Chase is fairly good at appealing to people's humanity," a voice said from behind them. Jennifer whipped around to see who was speaking – she hadn't meant to be overheard. She felt panic rise in her. Had she given away Sarah and Katherine's secret? Then she recognized the tall, older woman that had spoken - it was Rebecca Chambers.

"I didn't mean to startle you, Corporal," the woman said calmly. "I'm here with my granddaughter to find a particular book she heard about at school. I happened to see you, and I hoped I could have a word with you in private."

"Oh – of course," Jennifer said, wondering if it was a good thing or a bad thing that the Councilwoman wanted to talk to her. "Sarah, why don't you go find some of that music. We need to get back upstairs to your sister soon." Sarah hesitated, glaring at the stranger as if warning her that she'd better not hurt her friend. But after another look from Jennifer, she moved away to browse.

"She is afraid to leave you with me," Chambers said, smiling. "Even your young friends are strong supporters of you."

"I'm very lucky that way," Jennifer conceded.

"I knew that last night. The looks we were all getting from that half of the room were not pleasant ones." Chambers' face became serious. "I meant what I said, Corporal. You did an amazing job last night. And you have this entire time – you've played the game very well." Now her expression darkened, and she lowered her voice so that only Jennifer could hear her. "However, you've caught the attention of some dangerous people. The Council is meeting again tonight to finish deliberating your case. It won't be a brief meeting. I think you touched each and every member of the Council. But some of them are…influenced…by those dangerous people I just spoke of. If I were you, I would definitely watch your step."

Jennifer's expression hardened. "I'm not backing down. I don't deserve to be treated like this."

Chambers shook her head. "You'll get no argument from me there, Corporal. And I believe those of us who support you on the Council have a good shot at getting a majority vote." At those words, Jennifer's heart soared. But Chambers continued. "I just want you to know that not everyone in Eden can be trusted. I have no proof, or I would have acted by now. But I'm fairly certain you're being followed this afternoon, and it's by people that you don't want following you. These people have some of my fellow Council members frightened. They're not to be trifled with. I just want you to be careful. I'd like you to be in one piece to hear our ruling tomorrow." At that, Chambers began to walk away, but stopped. "What you're doing for that girl and her sister is admirable. They need someone like you to help them." At Jennifer's shocked expression, Chambers smiled quickly and shook her head. "I have my ways of finding things out, as well. Their secret is safe with me. Besides…maybe now that you've opened peoples' eyes, everyone in your situation will have an easier time of things once this war is over.

"You see, Corporal Chase, I'm looking to help people, not hinder them. Talking to you was the last thing in a series of events that helped me to see that I've done nothing for too long – it's time I starting helping people. It's my hope that I can start with you." With that, she walked away, leaving Jennifer staring after her.

"Jennifer? Are you ok?" Sarah came up to her with a few recordings in her hand. "She didn't bother you, did she?"

"No…she was trying to help me, I think. Are you ready? I want to go get your sister and head home."

"What's wrong?" The child was too perceptive, really.

"Nothing…I think. I just want to get you guys home before dinner, that's all. I promised your mom I would." She hurried Sarah upstairs, breathing a sigh of relief to see Katherine still bent over a stack of books at a table. They checked out their selections, Jennifer watching the people around them the whole time. It wasn't until they headed outside into the transport Jennifer had borrowed to take them to and from the library that she noticed the two men watching them through the windows.

They'd been sitting right behind Katherine when she and Sarah had come back upstairs.

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"Tim, I don't know who they are. But they followed me around for a while. I ended up taking the girls back here – I told them we were stopping for a snack - so that those guys would think I was heading in for the day. It didn't work - they've been outside ever since. That's why I asked you to come get them instead of bringing them home. I just didn't want to say it over an open channel."

"I don't like this," Mark all but growled. "This has Stanton written all over it."

"Are you sure?"

"Who else has the credits that would be needed to pay people to follow someone around? Who else would be 'dangerous' enough, if Chambers can be trusted, to need to warn Jennifer like that?" He pointed to his friend. "You don't go anywhere alone from here on out, you hear me?"

"Mark, you're being ridiculous. I can take care of myself."

"You have no weapon and no armor right now, Pip. You're not in the Resistance here."

"No, but it doesn't change the fact that I had plenty of training in hand-to-hand combat in the Youth. If I start hiding, Stanton – or whoever this is – wins."

"I'm not asking you to hide. I'm just asking you to put a little faith in the power of numbers. Just…use the buddy system, ok?" Mark's face softened. "So…Chambers thinks you're going to win?"

Jennifer nodded, her eyes more hopeful than he'd seen them in a long time. "She said that it wasn't going to be easy, but she thought that they could win a majority vote. She said that I got through to everyone, but there are several that are influenced by dangerous people, and that they were scared."

"Well then, I think I'm going to go pick up Kelly – her shift is almost over – and bring her back here. You girls can talk some wedding stuff with Vi, since it looks like we just might be losing you pretty soon." Mark squeezed her shoulder and headed out the door.

Tim, however, continued to look at her seriously. "Jennifer, please be careful."

"I will. I'm so sorry – if I'd have known, I never would have taken the girls with me into town."

"I'm not worried about that – I think between you and Katherine, you might even have been able to take them. She's pretty strong at hand-to-hand combat as well. I found that out one night right after we found them when I inadvertently startled her." A rueful smile crossed his face. "I was sore for days. But there's no reason to invite trouble. Just hang close to Vi's tomorrow, or at least travel with someone else. Mark will be gone making his run, so if you need someone, just contact me."

That reminded Jennifer – she had a letter to Jon started that she needed to get to Mark before he left early the next morning. He was planning on fulfilling his courier duties a little earlier than usual so that he could be back for the Council meeting. If she went upstairs now, she was pretty sure she could get it done before Mark returned with Kelly. "I will. Let me go say goodbye to the girls, and then I need to finish something before the wedding planning begins." She followed Tim into the kitchen, where Lottie was putting the girls to work getting dinner ready in order to keep them away from the adult conversation.

_…I hope Councilwoman Chambers is right. If she is, I might be seeing you even sooner than either of us imagined! I never thought I'd be saying this, but I am going to have to put off coming home just a little while, even if I am released tomorrow. I have to stay at least long enough for the wedding – it's set for a week from Saturday. I want to be there for them on their big day. I've never been to a wedding before….Kelly says there's nothing to it, at least not the way they have them nowadays. She and Vi were telling me stories last night about the big productions they'd attended before the wars. You know, I can understand wanting to celebrate making a commitment like that to someone, but some of the things they were telling me about were almost too much. Extravagant gifts, elaborate dinners, worrying about who sat next to who…I'm so glad Kelly isn't the least bit interested in any of that!_

_You know, the timing of this is really bad. When you're getting to read these letters, I'll be learning whether or not I'll be heading home, but you won't know for another week. I'm trying so hard not to get excited, but it's hard. I might actually get to see you in two weeks. It's been so long, Jon. I might not be able to do much but hold onto you for a little while at first. Scout, Hawk, and Tank have all told me about how they're going to be hugging me like crazy for a while, and to prepare myself for it. They might have to wait a little while, though! It's funny to think that I used to dread being hugged by any of you because I didn't know how to react. Now, those hugs can't come fast enough._

_I have to go to get this to Mark in time for him to leave early tomorrow. I hope that it doesn't throw you off. He just wants to be here when the Council announces their decision._

She paused, unsure how much she wanted to include. She didn't want to hide anything from Jon. She knew she wouldn't want him to hide anything from her. But she also didn't want to leave him helpless and worried for an entire week. It was going to be bad enough knowing that he wouldn't be able to get word about tomorrow's ruling for the whole week. She didn't see how telling him about Councilwoman Chambers' warning, or the men that had followed her and the girls home - and as far as she knew were still out there - would help him at all. She made the conscious decision to end her letter there, telling Jon how much she loved him and how she hoped she'd see him soon. With only a slightly guilty conscience, she sealed the envelope and headed downstairs just as she heard Mark and Kelly enter Vi's dining room, where the wedding planning was going to begin in earnest.

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The next day, the jumpship landed at the rendezvous point that Mark had indicated last week and the Power team disembarked. They were working very hard to keep their hopes from getting too high. They knew that Jennifer's hearing before the Council had been two nights before, and if things had gone well…it had gone through all their minds that there was a chance that Mark would not be alone this time. Maybe, just maybe, Jennifer had convinced the Council to see reason. Maybe she would finally be coming home.

Jon had been almost silent all morning, and the others knew that he was on edge. It was more than just seeing Jennifer, they knew. It was not knowing how she was being treated…and guilt, no matter how unfounded, that she'd been going through this without his physical support. Even if Jennifer wasn't with Mark today, Jon needed to know that the Council had at least begun to see reason.

"Captain? I'm getting a signal." Jon turned to see Scout holding his scanner. "It's got Eden's signature – but it's stationary, and it's…that way, about a quarter click."

A stationary signal that wasn't at their meeting point? Why wasn't Mark here, where he'd asked them to be? This didn't bode well. The team hurried to the area Scout had indicated. There they found the source of the signal. It was a package hidden among an outcropping of rocks. There was a recorder on top of the stack of letters in the box. Jon looked at his team, worry etched over each face, and hit the button to play it.

"Captain, it's Mark. Please, don't panic. Jennifer is fine. She's just not on her way yet.

"You would all have been so proud of her, Jon. She was amazing on Monday. She spoke with passion, but her arguments were all logical and to the point. She was emotional, but she never lost control. And she did it all while she sat a table by herself, only looking at them. We all had to sit behind her and watch. But she nailed it. She made them think. And she caused enough dissention between the members that they put off their ruling till tonight." All four faces had been focused on the player, but now their eyes met. It wasn't over yet – Jennifer was still wondering.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to meet you. But some things have come up that have a few of us worried. Jennifer was followed yesterday when she took Katherine and Sarah to the library in town for the first time. One of the Council members stopped her in the library and brought her attention to it. The good news is that that Council member is on Pip's side, and she seems to think that they can get a majority vote to drop the restrictions against her. The bad news is that she warned Pip that whoever is influencing some of the Council members is dangerous, and is probably behind the people tailing her. We know who that is, and we're going to do something about it. But that's why I'm not there today. I made my run as early as possible, dropped off the letters, and headed back. We all need to be there tonight.

"We're not letting Pip go anywhere on her own…which she's not very excited about, as I'm sure you could have guessed." All four men smiled at this. "We know she can take care of herself, but we'd rather she not have to. With any luck, Captain, by the time you get back to your base we'll be at Vi's celebrating the fact that she doesn't have to wear that damn tracker anymore, and planning to bring her back.

"Before I go…I left something for you. Look, I know you haven't had a chance to read about this in Pip's letters, but Kelly and I are getting married a week from Saturday, and it wouldn't be the same for either of us if Pip wasn't there. It was a hard decision for her to make, but she has decided to stay until the next transport after the wedding, no matter what the Council decides. I'm sorry – I know I'm being selfish, but the look on Kell's face when Pip agreed was worth it. I'll still be here next week, though, to meet you and see what your response is to the item I left you. And if you tune your receivers to the most popular radio show in town tomorrow, I promise you I'll get word to you about the outcome of tonight's meeting. I can't imagine you guys having to wait a week to find out what's happening.

"Keep the faith, Jon – I really think it's almost over."

The transmission ended, but no one moved for a moment. They were all trying to absorb everything that Mark had said.

"She's being followed?" Tank unknowingly sounded a lot like Mark had when he'd heard the news. The growl in his voice was frightening.

"Does anyone have control over this idiot?" Scout asked.

"Vi told me a little about him – she says he is a paranoid nut," Matt said darkly. "With someone that willing to hate in a position of power, things are bound to go bad," Jon said, anger and frustration in his voice.

"Sounds like someone I wouldn't be able to stand," Scout commented dryly.

"At least Mark's made plans to let us know what's happening," Matt said with relief. "The thought of not knowing for another week! We'll keep Freedom Two's channel open all day tomorrow. And a wedding! I bet Vi's in her glory," he chuckled. Then he turned to Jon and looked his friend square in the face. "Are you ok with her staying?"

"I'm the one asking her to leave paradise to come back here and be with me – I have no right to be upset with anyone else," Jon said definitively.

Matt rolled his eyes and smiled at him. "Like she'd ever want to be anywhere else. What did he leave for you, Jon?"

Jon rifled through the box, seeing Jennifer's handwriting on bundles of letters addressed to each of them. Then, at the bottom of the box, he saw an envelope in an unfamiliar handwriting. "Let's find out," he said, opening the envelope. His eyes widened a bit while he read what was enclosed. Then a grin slowly started to spread across his face.

"This must be good," Tank said, nudging Scout. "I haven't seen a grin like that on his face in a long time."


	20. Chapter 20

The Council meeting was packed. Even more people had heard about the case, and there wasn't a seat to be had in the house. Jennifer sat with the others in the first few rows. Mark sat on one side of her, keeping an eye on the crowd – especially Stanton, sitting near the front on the opposite side of the room - and Kelly on the other, holding her hand.

"It's getting pretty crowded in here," Jennifer murmured.

"Hey – you've got a lot of people supporting you," Kelly said simply, squeezing her hand for about the tenth time already that evening.

"They're not all here for that," Jennifer said, smiling a little despite her nervousness.

"No. Some of them are just nosy," Mark agreed. "But – here are a few more who we can chalk up to the 'supporting you' category," he said, surprise and pride in his voice. "Look there."

Jennifer looked over her shoulder to see Tim marching down the aisle, shepherding Mary and the girls along ahead of him. Mary was clinging to each girl's hand like a lifeline, but they all smiled when they saw her. Jennifer rose and made her way back to them, hugging them all in turn. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Fighting for you," Sarah said simply. "You told me that it could be done, but not like the Resistance is fighting Dread. So we decided that we were going to fight your way instead of hiding."

At her daughter's simple declaration, Mary's face turned rosy. "Jennifer…I'm sorry. I'm sorry we weren't here Monday. I was just scared…still am, truth be told," she admitted. Tim smiled and laid a hand on his wife's shoulder for support. "But if a certain eight-year-old can see things as clearly as she does…well, the girls have been helping me see a lot."

"Mary, don't. I know you just want what's best for the girls," Jennifer tried to reassure her.

"We know that, too," Katherine said. Then she smiled at Jennifer – a real, genuine smile. "We just had to convince Mother that we needed to be able to fight, too. Just in our own way."

Jennifer wrapped an arm around each girl's shoulder and hugged them tightly. "You know, there's a part of me that wants to keep you safe and sound out on the farm, away from all the prying eyes, too."

"Yes, but why should we live here if we're not safe here?" Katherine asked simply.

"I think that's a wonderful question, young lady." Jennifer turned once again to see Councilwoman Chambers behind her. "I'm sorry, Corporal Chase. I really don't make it a habit of lurking behind people and eavesdropping. But I did want to greet our guests. Tim, it's good to see you again."

Jennifer turned and looked at Tim in surprise. "You've met?"

"I knew the Councilwoman from before the Metal Wars. We went to college together. I just hadn't gotten around to calling on her since we've gotten here. When you mentioned her yesterday, I decided to go and re-introduce myself."

"We had a very productive conversation, I think," Chambers said, smiling. "Everyone is ready? Katherine, Sarah?" The girls both nodded.

Jennifer's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about, Ms. Chambers?"

"I think it's time to take your seats now," she said simply.

Jennifer turned to Tim and Mary. "Someone needs to tell me what's going on," she demanded. She had a terrible feeling that they had something planned – something that would risk exposing the girls' past.

"Jennifer," Mary said softly, placing a hand on her arm, "everything is going to be ok. Now, go sit down. Let's get this done so we can go back and have a victory party."

Jennifer felt a little helpless, but she maneuvered her way back to the front of the room as the rest of the Council filed in. Kelly and Mark looked at her, taking in her worried expression. "What's wrong, Pip?" Mark asked in a whisper.

"I don't know yet," she confessed, "but –"

"This special meeting of the Governing Council of Eden II will now come to order," the chairman announced into his microphone. Immediately, everyone in the room fell silent. "Thank you. This meeting was called specifically to address the petition of Corporal Jennifer Chase to leave Eden, and return to the Resistance group that she has fought with for the past several years." The case was summarized quickly for anyone who didn't know its history.

"We are now ready to render our decision. I ask that each Council Member publicly state his or her vote for the record –"

"Excuse me, Mr. Chairperson," Councilwoman Chambers interrupted. "I was approached this afternoon by people that have asked to speak on Corporal Chase's behalf before we cast our final votes. I ask that they be allowed to speak before the final vote is recorded."

"Councilwoman Chambers, this is not our policy –"

"No, it's not, Mr. Chairperson," Chambers agreed. "However, I think we would all agree that this is not a typical case. We're talking about a woman's life and freedom here. I would like to know that we have _**all**_ reviewed all the available evidence that we can before rendering our decision." Several heads along the table nodded their assent. The chairman stared at them, then closed his eyes briefly. "Very well. It would not do for us to overlook relevant testimony. I take it that the testimony is relevant, Councilwoman Chambers?"

"I certainly believe it is. I would not be asking for the Council's time if I didn't." She looked out at the crowd. "Mr. Schultz? Would you and your family please come forward?"

"No!" Jennifer moaned, closing her eyes. "They shouldn't be doing this – the girls will be targets now, too!" She watched, panic rising in her, as all four of her friends stood and approached the podium and the microphone.

"Shhhh…" Kelly soothed her, rubbing her arm. "Listen."

"Thank you, Councilwoman Chambers." Tim spoke first. "My family and I appreciate the chance to speak tonight. You see, Corporal Chase has become a very important friend of ours lately. We're fairly new live on a farm outside of town, and we hadn't sent the girls into school in town yet. We…wanted to keep them with us for a while. I saw Corporal Chase in town one day with Colonel Tucker. I asked her to bring Jennifer out to meet us. She did, and Jennifer has almost become a part of our family now. She's helped us a lot – my girls are going to miss her terribly when she finally gets clearance to leave. But we'll always be grateful to her, because she understands my girls here better than anyone else could.

"See, Mary and I have been alone for a long time. We lost our children near the beginning of the war. About two years ago, we were scavenging for supplies in an abandoned settlement we'd run across. We heard something as we went, and we found Katherine and Sarah here. It took some time, but we gained their trust, took them in, and they've been ours ever since. But it's been rough." He glanced at Katherine, who nodded, and he stepped back so that she could take the microphone.

"Before my parents found us, Sarah and I were on board a Dread Youth transport to our new assignments." There was some noise in the crowd at this, and Jennifer looked quickly at Stanton to judge his reaction. The look on his face as he stared at the girls made her blood boil. Kelly squeezed her hand even tighter, trying to keep her attention focused on Katherine and her family. "There was an attack, and most of us were unarmed. We were the only survivors. I managed to hide, and so did Sarah. We stuck together because our training told us there was safety in numbers. We didn't go far because we were certain that, when the transport was missed, a new one would be dispatched for us. But when Mother and Father found us, we'd realized that no one cared enough to come back for us. That's when we started to realize what Dread really taught. We were very, very angry at first. We had never even been outside of Volcania before, and knew nothing about the outside world but the lies we'd been taught by Dread. It took us a while to be able to trust anyone, even my parents, who cared for us from the beginning. It's been difficult. Our parents have been very patient with us, and they've helped us learn everything we can. I think they knew that we needed to talk to someone with a similar experience. But none of us really believed we'd get that chance. We didn't know there _was_ anyone like us until we met Jennifer.

"She understands what we've been feeling. Mother and Father do the best they can, but it's hard when you haven't done it yourself. What Dread did to us is wrong. What he's doing now to the other children in the Youth, what he's done to the planet – it's all wrong. He took us when we were very small – neither of us remember what our lives were like before Volcania. We only remember the Youth. Jennifer told us that she doesn't have any definite memories of that time, either. And she was just like us when she first escaped. The Power team took her in, cared about her, and helped her realize she was human, after all. She decided to fight with them, and she has been fighting Dread ever since. She fought them outside with her team, and she has been fighting still here in Eden as she helps us. Yet you think she's a threat. She never asked to be taken by Dread. Neither did we. If we were taken when we were so young that we don't remember, how can we be judged for what the Youth have done?"

The crowd chuckled as Sarah elbowed her sister in the side, letting Katherine know that she wanted her turn. Katherine closed her eyes to help her keep her temper, and backed up so that Sarah could have the microphone. Tim barely held back a smile while adjusting it to Sarah's much smaller height.

"Katherine and I are still learning," Sarah began in her confident little voice. "We're learning even more because we've met Jennifer. But we haven't really been free here. We don't go to school with other kids, and we almost never go into town. Because if you'll judge Jennifer, you'll judge us. That's why my parents didn't want to send us to school or go into town. They heard what you did to her. You don't trust her because of things she couldn't control. You put a tracking device on her because you were afraid. You thought that if she left, she'd say something to someone on the outside, even though she's proven that she wants to go out there to _fight_ Dread, not help him. What's to keep you from doing that to us? None of us who know the truth now could _ever_ want to help Dread again. But you think because we look like we do, we will go running back to him.

"I asked Jennifer yesterday why she didn't just fight her way out of here. We met resistance cells from time to time on the outside. I know she would know how to do it. But do you know what she told me? She said that, while it would get her back to where she wanted to be, it would be proving to you guys that she wasn't trustworthy. She didn't say it, but I know that she was thinking about what would happen to the rest of us – those of us who have managed to get away from Dread. I don't know how many of us there are. But eventually, when this war ends, there will be a lot of us out there. What will happen to us then? I think she won't run away to be where she wants to be – and she really does want to be there - because she's afraid of what that will mean for us. How could someone who is supposed to be _so_ _bad_ that you have to track her movements think like that? How can you believe that someone as good as she is could possibly betray us here? I think maybe you need to think about that." Mary's hand on her shoulder stopped Sarah from launching into a full-fledged tirade, but it was a struggle for her.

"What we're trying to say," continued Mary, her voice soft but steady, "is that we believe in Jennifer Chase more than we believe in just about anyone else. She is an amazing person, even more so when you consider what she has been through. Despite how you have treated her, she's remained here, in part, to make sure that no one else has to face what she's been dealt by people who are too afraid to look closely.

"To be honest, I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to risk the chance that you'd do to my family what you've done to this young woman. But my husband and my daughters helped me to see that hiding won't help anyone in the long run. If we really want a future where our girls can be the human beings they were meant to be, not what Dread's twisted vision was for them, it has to start here. You have to really see, not just hide behind fears of what might be. Be half as brave as these three have been," she said, wrapping her arms around her girls and turning to smile at Jennifer, "and realize when you've made a mistake."

"Thank you," Sarah said firmly into the silence that followed her mother's plea.

The entire room laughed as the spunky little girl and her family returned to their seats, stopping to hug an emotional Jennifer as they passed. Mark continued his observation of the Council as everyone got settled back down. He didn't want to say anything to get Pip's hopes up, but he very much liked what he was seeing.

"Excuse me. I'd like a chance to address the Council as well."

A hushed murmur rolled across the crowd. William Stanton had risen from his seat and was approaching the podium without even bothering to wait for permission. Mark saw Shawn and Sam both trying to hold Vi down in her seat, anger written all over her face. He also noticed that there were many other ugly looks directed at Stanton, and they were not all from Jennifer's friends. This could go two ways…but he hoped he had a good enough feel for the crowd that his hunch was right.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Council, you've heard many pretty words in the past few days. First, from Corporal Chase herself, all about how sad her story is, and how she's worked for years to repay the debt _she herself_ admits that she owes to society. She insists that she wants to return to the outside to fight for us. But can anyone really guarantee that? The training and conditioning that Dread puts his troops through is complete and absolute. No one has ever fought it – no one has ever truly left him.

"I'm not asking you to imprison Corporal Chase. All I want is for her to stay where she is – which is a place that all people, including the Schultz family, admit is pretty close to perfect. After all, we saved her life. All we're asking in return is for her to commit to protecting our way of life."

"Some of us, William, believe that she can do that even outside Eden," Chambers interrupted him.

"Why should we believe her?"

"She's given us no reason not to," The Councilman on Chambers' left said firmly.

"That little girl had a point," another Councilman agreed. "Do we want to set this type of precedent? Is this what Eden means – you can come here, but you have to fit our mold of the perfect citizen?"

"Oh, please," Stanton scoffed. "Has she taken you in, as well?" The look on his face went from disbelief to outright rage as he looked at each of the Council members and saw what Mark had been seeing all evening. He pointed at Jennifer as he continued, his finger shaking in his rage. "No matter how much she denies it, that seed is always going to be inside her – the one that believes the litanies and the speeches and will eventually emerge. And when she betrays us all, and this place we've created is destroyed, what is it going to matter to that little girl who has your heads turned? What about the children you love – the ones who haven't been soiled by Dread? What world will _they_ have left to live in?"

"William." Chambers' voice was hard now. "You are out of line."

"I'm out of line? What about you?" Stanton's body language was radiating fury now. "You're the ones who are jeopardizing everything we've worked for, everything we've built –"

"Is that why you had us followed?" Every head turned as Sarah Schultz stood indignantly in her seat, Katherine and Mary trying to pull her down again. "The tracking device wasn't enough?"

"Yes, William, let's talk about the incident yesterday."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Stanton spat.

"I think you do. You see, I ran into Corporal Chase and her young friends in the library yesterday, and you can imagine my surprise when I realized that their actions were being watched very closely. I believe the people I saw followed her all the way back to her place of residence, and continued to follow her as she went about the business of helping a friend plan a wedding today."

The chairman frowned. "Corporal Chase? Is this true?"

Jennifer rose in her seat. "I know that two men followed the girls and I home last night. I was able to find the same two men everywhere I visited this morning. We went to at least four different merchants. I can't believe it's a coincidence." She took a deep breath and looked at Stanton, who had turned to listen to her, in the eye. "When they got too close to us, I purposefully headed to an area where I knew a law enforcement officer was stationed."

"Too close to you?"

"They'd been following us all morning, and they were progressively getting closer. I was afraid for my friend's safety, but she wouldn't leave me. I didn't feel like I had a choice. I was fairly certain that tonight's vote would not go well if I tried to defend us, even though I was fairly sure I could…convince them to leave us alone."

Mark looked at Kelly behind Jennifer's back. "What?" he whispered furiously.

"You were gone on your run, and you didn't get back until just before the meeting. We didn't have time to tell you," Kelly insisted.

"I think you could have found a way to fill me in, Kell."

Meanwhile, Chambers continued her questioning. "Mr. Stanton?"

"I told you, I have no idea –"

"I saw them, William," Chambers said firmly. "I recognized them as… gentlemen…that you have hired to do some work for you before."

At that, the voices that had been whispering in the chamber began to grow louder, and more unhappy. "Order, please," the chairman called. "Mr. Stanton, is this true?"

"You were going to set her free!" the elderly man bellowed. "I saw your faces on Monday – you were going to let her go, destroy everything we've worked for! All the people that live here should be thanking me for saving their lives. We named this place correctly – it _is_ a paradise. It won't be once she's done! It will be as empty and wasted as the rest of this godforsaken planet, and you're going to let it happen! This filth will surrender us all – you and your children will be digitized, and all our hopes and dreams will be done!"

An uneasy silence had filled the room. It was as if everyone was mesmerized by the man that was currently coming unglued before their eyes. His eyes flashed and his cheeks were red. His hands shook as they punctuated his rant. He had gone, in less than an hour, from a somewhat respected member of the community to someone that did not seem to have full possession of his faculties. Several assistants had approached him and tried to convince him to take his seat, but he pushed them away. "Why can't you see it? Why would you put your trust in someone who has been tainted by that madman? All of them – even that little one will eventually betray us! How was she allowed in here? Why didn't someone realize – look at her! She's one of them!"

"Mr. Stanton, that is enough," the chairman said firmly. "Please return to

your seat or you will be removed." When security personnel surrounded him, his jaw clamped shut, but his anger was still palpable as he finally turned his back on the Council.

"We've heard enough testimony now…I think it's time for us to vote." The chairman cleared his throat as Stanton moved stiffly to his seat. "I ask my fellow Council members: should Corporal Chase be allowed to come and go as she please, without being monitored, and should she be allowed to leave Eden and return to her Resistance group? All those in favor, please raise your hands."

Jennifer's eyes widened as she counted five hands – all but three of the Council members. Her smile started small, but grew to cover her entire face as she heard the chairman say, "Very well then. By a majority vote, all restrictions against Corporal Chase are hereby removed. Corporal, I hope you'll accept our apologies. I'm afraid it took someone like you and your friends to help us to see what we were becoming. I think we all need to re-examine some of our policies, and really think about what we want Eden to be in the future.

"Now, you're free to go at your leisure. If you'll remain where you are for just a moment, an officer will come and remove your tracking device."

Jennifer's emotions were threatening to get the best of her as the officer officially removed the hated tracker. She turned to face her friends and was immediately engulfed in one set of arms after another.

"You did it, Jen! You did it!" Kelly laughed as she hugged her hard. "You made them listen to you!"

"We knew you had it in you," Sam smiled.

"We showed them, didn't we, Jennifer?" Sarah's face appeared above all the others, hoisted up in her father's arms. "You were right – sometimes you have to fight them their way."

Jennifer reached out and took Sarah from Tim. She hugged her hard, and then put her down and put her other arm around Katherine. "I have never seen two young ladies as brave as you were tonight. You risked an awful lot to come here and speak for me."

"What kind of friends would we be if we didn't?" Katherine said with a quiet smile. Her mother squeezed her hand, tears shining in her eyes.

"Now…we celebrate!" Vi whooped. "Everyone back to my place. Lottie has quite a spread planned for us!"

Everyone gathered their things and headed for the door, but Jennifer stopped Mark and Kelly. "Mark, I'm sorry. I never would have gone anywhere today if I knew I was putting Kelly in danger. And we really didn't mean to blindside you – I honestly didn't even know that Chambers knew about what happened this morning. There just wasn't time to tell you - "

"I know, Pip." He ushered both women towards the door. But he squeezed Kelly's hand tight, and didn't let go. "Apparently, I can't leave you two alone for a second."

They laughed and talked as they headed out into the night, more energetic and excited than any of them had been in a while. It was a lively walk back to Vi's. But as they neared the front door, Jennifer lingered at the back of the crowd, then sat down on the porch steps. Kelly turned and sent her a questioning look. "I'm ok…just need a minute." Her friend smiled, and turned back around, leaning into Mark as she walked.

Jennifer smiled as she watched them. She was so thankful that she'd be here for their wedding. And honestly, if this whole mess hadn't happened, she wouldn't have been. Silver linings, she thought to herself, remembering when Tank had first explained the concept to her. There really were silver linings to almost every situation.

She took a deep, calming breath. Summer was in full swing, and she could smell Vi's garden from where she was sitting. She rose from the step and walked into the yard, looking up at the night sky. She wondered if Jon was doing the same thing, or if he even could from wherever the new base was at. Was he wondering how she was doing this evening? She wished with all her heart that she could contact him now and let him know that it was over, that she would really be coming home after the wedding. She knew he was thinking of her now, and she wanted him to share in her friends' excitement.

"You think you've won, don't you, Corporal?"

She turned to see William Stanton emerge from the shadows. He was flanked by two men, and they all advanced on her. Jennifer knew her friends were nearby in the house, but she remained quiet as the trio approached. She would keep her friends out of this. It wasn't going to be pretty, and she didn't want them involved.

"I don't think you're welcome here right now, Mr. Stanton…" she began.

He cut her off. "I really don't care if I'm welcome or not, Corporal. I'm not finished with you yet."

"I just wanted the chance to go home, Mr. Stanton. That's what I'm going to be able to do now – go out and fight for this place, and for everyone out there that deserves to be able to live in peace as well."

"You stupid girl! You really think I believe your lies? I'm not fooled, Chase. I know what's in your heart. And I'm not going to allow you to jeopardize everything I've worked for here. You'll stay here in Eden, or you'll stay silent."

"No, I won't." The men flanking Stanton had begun to advance on her, but she stood straight and still.

"Jennifer?" Mark must've noticed what was going on, and his voice approached from behind her. Jennifer winced. She didn't want any of them involved in this.

"Mark, stay back."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Tim's voice answered. Jennifer could hear them coming down the porch steps. Why couldn't they just stay back?

"You should listen to your friend, fool," Stanton sneered. "It would be better for everyone if she just _went away_."

"Mark?" Jennifer sighed when she heard Vi's voice. She must have followed Mark and Tim outside when they'd come out to check on her. So much for keeping them all out of this. "If everyone would just go back inside, I'll be ok. This is between me and Mr. Stanton," she said calmly.

"Vi, call law enforcement. You have a few trespassers," Tim said calmly. Vi immediately turned and hurried back into the house. She knew she needed the authorities here to see what was happening, or she'd have bodily removed Stanton herself.

"Please, just go back inside," Jennifer begged Tim and Mark when she didn't hear them follow Vi, not moving her gaze from Stanton and his companions. "I can handle this."

"Yes, I'm sure she'd rather you just go back inside while my friends here take care of her and her mouth. Unless you'd rather us take care of the other two pieces of Dread's filth inside that house." At Stanton's words, the two men advanced on Jennifer with unexpected speed. Mark and Tim both rushed forward…only to stop short as they watched Jennifer take first one man, then the other down almost effortlessly. Their jaws dropped as she attacked, first jamming her elbow into the closest one's face, dropping him backwards. The second man managed to get in a shot at her while she was taking care of his companion, catching her across the chin. But she responded by grabbing his hand when he came in for another strike. She shifted her weight, catching him off guard and tossing him down onto the yard. Both of them staggered to their feet, but watched her warily as she took an aggressive stance.

"Come on, boys. You're not afraid of me, are you?" she taunted them. There was a part of her that was relieved to have a chance to fight.

"Get her! She's half your size!" Stanton screamed.

The law enforcement officers running down the street toward them almost didn't register with the people on the porch as they watched the two thugs approach Jennifer a second time. This time she grabbed one by the arm and twisted it behind him, then jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. He sunk to the ground with a groan, and didn't get up. The second man slowed after seeing his companion stopped, trying to find a weak spot in her defense. He hesitated too long – Jennifer simply stepped in and laid him flat with a punch to the face.

She looked up at the stunned officers as they reached the yard. "Hi. I think you might want to arrest them now," she said, slightly breathless.

Mark and Tim's laughter rang out across the night. Stanton was still staring at the two on the ground as he was led away from the house.

"That's our girl!" Vi crowed.

"That was…amazing!" Tim and Mark rushed down the stairs to help her up into the porch light. "How in the world did you learn how to do that?"

"I've told you…I got pretty good marks in hand-to-hand combat in the Youth," Jennifer said simply. "They got one in on me, though," she complained, rubbing her jaw where the second man had made contact. Kelly, Vi, and Megan were standing in the doorway, and she paused as she reached the door. "Ok…how much of that did you see?"

"Enough to know you weren't kidding when you said you could've handled yourself this morning," Kelly said, grinning. "You kicked some serious butt."

"Thanks…I think," Jennifer grinned back.

"Now, let's get you inside and get some ice on that," Vi insisted. "Besides, the girls are going mad in there – they knew something was going on, but Mary kept them away from the windows. They just need to see that you're alright."

At the mention of the girls, Jennifer turned to Tim and Mark. "You heard him, didn't you – what he said about the girls? We need to make sure the Council knows what he said. I'll feel better knowing he's locked up so that he can't touch the girls when I leave here."

"We'll all head down tomorrow and make statements. I don't think we'll have to worry much about Philip Stanton anymore," Tim said, laying a reassuring hand on her arm.

"It won't be the end of it, Tim," Jennifer said. Her eyes were full of emotion. "What you and the girls did tonight was amazing and brave and I won't ever be able to thank you enough for it. But that vote tonight was close. Stanton isn't the only one who feels this way. He just had enough power for it to get really ugly. There will be other people, and they'll judge the girls for their history instead of who they are now."

"Jennifer, that would have been the case whenever we sent them to school, or when they left us to live on their own. We can't protect them forever, as much as we'd like to. But by standing up to people like Stanton, and letting the girls tell their story, maybe we can change a few of their minds." He squeezed her arm, then turned towards the house again. "Now, I'm looking forward to the delicious looking cake that Lottie was setting on the table when we heard voices out here. I say we head in and get some before the girls get to it," he said, offering her his arm with a smile. "But I have to agree with Vi… ice first."

"Ice first," Jennifer agreed ruefully, taking his arm. "I might not know exactly what I'm doing as a maid of honor, but I'm pretty sure that having a black and blue jaw isn't something that most brides are looking for." She stopped and looked at Mark, who was still standing on the lawn, just staring at her. "You coming, Mark?"

Mark stared for another minute or two, then just whistled. "Remind me never to make you mad, Pip." He shook his head, then started up the porch steps and offered her his arm, as well. "Come on – I hear really good food calling my name."

Kelly laughed from her spot on the porch. "You've got him, Jennifer. Changing the subject is the telltale sign that he knows he's beat."

Jennifer smiled as she walked through the door with her friends. She could hear the girls arguing with Mary, and headed that direction once Vi had handed her an ice pack. Once Katherine and Sarah were calmed down (Sarah noticeably upset that she hadn't been allowed to see Jennifer "in action,"), the celebration started in earnest.

And though she thoroughly enjoyed the time with her friends – which extended late into the night – she was thankful, at the end of it, to be at her desk in her room upstairs with her stationary.

Dear Jon,

I'm coming home! I'll be there son! Can you believe it? It's really happening. And, I just might have finally proven to Mark that I'm not quite helpless, either…

L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L

In the Power Base's control room, Jon put down the reader he'd been studying for the past twenty minutes and stood up to stretch. He and the others were all in the command center, hoping to hear Mentor announce that there was a transmission coming through on Freedom Two's frequency. He'd been there since well before sunrise, unable to sleep. Scout had joined him about an hour later, and Matt and Tank had entered the room before the clock hit what would normally be an early time for rising, even for them. They'd been trying to keep themselves busy with various odds-and-ends projects for the last two hours.

Matt watched Jon scrub his face with his hands. "So, what's Dread been up to in quadrant seven lately?"

"What?" Jon asked, confused.

"That report you've been staring blankly at. Were you actually able to absorb any of it?"

The younger man shrugged and grinned sheepishly. "No, not really."

Scout put down the communicator he had been tinkering with. "Have any of us been really paying attention to what we've been doing?"

Tank put the book that he had been reading down. "I can tell you exactly what this book is about," he said.

"Because you've read it about a dozen times – at least three of them with Jennifer," Matt reminded him with a smile. "I noticed what you were reading as soon as you came in."

"I thought maybe it would bring us some luck," Tank said with a grin.

"Do you really think it could happen? Do you think that they'll finally let her be?" Scout asked the room at large.

"If she hasn't been there long enough by now for them to get to know her, to really understand what she's made of, and what kind of person she is…"

"The problem is, the ones that are making the decisions _don't_ know her," Jon pointed out.

"Jon, you could hear it in Mark's voice. He thought she'd done it- convinced them to see reason. You know if there's anyone who can do that, it's her." Matt felt a little better when he saw a trace of a smile crack Jon's face. "How many times has she done it to us?"

"I don't know, but I could do with some of that logical reasoning right now," Scout smiled.

"I think we all could –"

"Captain, I'm receiving a signal on Freedom Two's frequency."

All four men dropped what they were doing at Mentor's announcement and crowded the computer terminal. "Put it through, Mentor."

"This is Freedom Two with a message for a friend. Your wait is over. Repeat – your wait is over."

The shout that went up in the control room echoed throughout the arctic base. Jon stood there grinning while the others thumped him on the back. "See, Jon – what'd I tell you? Mark knew what he was talking about!" Matt's grin was wider than it had been in a long time. "Now all we have to do is get her back here. This place needs a bit of a feminine touch."

"Time to get her birthday presents dusted off," Scout said, rubbing his hands together.

"Time to look the jumpship over and make sure it's in tiptop shape. You know that one of the first things she'll want to do is inspect that thing," Matt laughed.

"The big question is if it's time for the Captain to get packed or not," Tank pointed out.

"He's got a point, Captain," Matt said slyly. "Have you decided to take Mark up on his offer or not?"


	21. Chapter 21

"You're leaving a broken heart behind here in Eden, my friend."

Jennifer blushed furiously and groaned. "Would you stop? He'll be just fine. The next new, single girl that arrives on the next transport will catch his eye. I swear, I don't know what I did to get his attention."

"It's not quite that simple, honey," Kelly drawled. "Sometimes, you don't have to do anything but be you." Her friend's innocence in some matters still made Kelly laugh from time to time. Poor Pete, the clerk that had helped them at the market, had been smitten the first time Jennifer had walked in the door. She was mostly oblivious, but Pete had been pretty obvious. Everyone who knew her knew that Jennifer's heart only had room for Jon, but it was honestly pretty funny to watch her try to figure out how to deal with someone who wasn't ready to take a subtle hint.

Desperately wanting a change in the conversation, Jennifer switched to a topic Kelly was more invested in. "Three more days, for you – are you ready?"

"Two and a half. Today's half over," Kelly nudged her friend as they walked back to Vi's, arms loaded with packages of food that Lottie needed to prepare for the wedding dinner. Vi's large back garden had been selected as the venue, and Lottie had been pouring over recipe books ever since Kelly and Mark had set the date. "Don't add in any more time than there has to be."

Jennifer laughed. "You know, Vi said people used to go out and get a little wild before their weddings – take advantage of the last of their single days."

"Not me, my friend. I've been waiting for this particular guy to figure things out for too long to worry about that," Kelly said with a grin. "I'm not the only one with a countdown right now. How is your packing going?"

"Oh, I haven't done too much. I don't have much to do after the wedding. I've wrapped up all my remaining repairs, though, and I've started ordering a few things that I want to take home with me. I'll pick them up on Monday and Tuesday before I leave."

_Before she leaves_, Kelly thought sadly. "I'm so glad Mark's going to keep the letters coming," she sighed. "You know, we fought so long to get to the point where you can leave, and now I don't know what I'm going to do without you."

"You will have a new husband, and a new place to make a home out of. You'll have plenty to do," Jennifer reassured her. "And I'll keep you entertained with all my stories about what the guys are up to, and how we're making progress against Dread."

"You'd better. I want you back here as soon as possible," Kelly said firmly.

"Yes, ma'm."

"I'm serious. I want to see you back here, planning your own future. With your captain, of course."

"Yes, well…" Jennifer trailed off, blushing. "Right now, I'll settle for being able to see him and actually have a conversation with him." She squinted down the street. "Looks like there's someone on the porch. Do you think Vi has a new boarder?" That was often where people new to Eden would congregate, watching what seemed like a dream pass by on the street. "That would mean that Mark is back early. Maybe he has my letters." Excited at the prospect of contact from home, Jennifer's pace quickened.

Kelly's eyes flew to her watch – it was too early! Why were they back already? "I doubt it. It's way too early." She slowed her pace a bit and cast around desperately for a distraction. "Hey – are you free to go for a fitting tomorrow? I think Mrs. Brown's finally got your dress ready."

"Don't remind me about the dress," Jennifer groaned. "I didn't know what I was getting into when I said yes to this."

"It won't kill you to wear a dress."

"It's just not something I'm used to, Kelly."

"Well, it won't be the first time you've tried something new while you're here," Kelly replied. At least she'd managed a change in the topic. "It'll just be for a few hours, Jen."

"I know…" Jennifer's voice trailed off. Her eyes had returned to the porch. She found Mark and Vi – it was easier to distinguish the familiar faces from this distance. As she and Kelly continued to get closer, though, she noticed that they were talking to someone. Someone tall and dark haired. Someone wearing green fatigues. Someone who looked…familiar… She stopped walking. "Jon?" she whispered.

Kelly gave up and let the grin spread. "Mark's going to kill me. I was supposed to keep you occupied so we could surprise you, but he's early, darn it! We wanted to see your face as the captain walked in the door."

"He's here? He's really here?" Jennifer's eyes were huge, and she seemed to have lost the power to move.

"Yes, he's here. We convinced him to come and be with you for a few days before you leave, so you can get to know each other again before you go back to reality." Kelly saw Jon catch sight of them – he straightened up and stared for a moment, his posture mimicking Jennifer's, and then he slowly moved to the porch steps. Kelly took the bags from Jennifer's still hands and gave her a shove. "Now get up there, will you?"

The nudge from her friend seemed to be what Jennifer needed to get through the shock of seeing him there. "Jon?" she repeated, starting to walk again, a smile starting to spread across her face. "Jon!" She yelled it now, her walk turning into a run.

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Jon had been standing at the railing to the porch, looking out on something that he just couldn't quite wrap his brain around. He didn't understand how this place could be here. It was amazing – clear air and water, natural vegetation, intact roads and houses, the obvious signs of technology…Jennifer's letters hadn't been specific for a reason, so he wasn't prepared for what he saw.

"Pretty amazing, isn't it?" The grin on Mark's face was evident in his voice – Jon didn't have to even turn around to know it was there. He could tell why Jennifer had felt so comfortable around him. The friendliness and warmth that the man exuded had always been apparent, even in the short talks he'd had with him over the months they'd exchanged letters. All Jon could do at the moment, though, was smile back.

"I don't know if amazing is enough to describe it."

"I'm sorry, Jon – Lottie sent them out on a shopping trip for the wedding dinner to keep them busy," Vi apologized, bringing him a glass of cold water. "We honestly didn't expect you for another hour or two."

"Well, someone was in a bit of a hurry to get here," Mark smiled. "If I could've let him into the cockpit with Richards, he probably would've been trying to find a way to boost the engine capacity."

Jon smiled back at him. Mark had let his partner do the flying today, and had spent most of the flight keeping him and the other passengers company. While Jon had enjoyed having more than the usual short conversation with the man, he'd gotten more and more restless as the flight wore on. He'd already gotten a lot of good-natured teasing from both couriers as they'd disembarked. Setting the glass down on a table, he asked, "Can you blame me? If you hadn't seen Kelly in months-"

"He'd be out combing the streets for her," Vi agreed. "Don't let him get to you, Jon. I'm sure you've already heard from Jennifer how much he enjoys giving people a hard time."

"Speaking of," Mark said softly. Jon whirled around…and there she was. She was standing a little ways down the street on the sidewalk next to Kelly, her hands full of packages. She was staring at him, her mouth open in complete surprise. Jon stood frozen for a moment, just drinking in the sight of her. Then he slowly moved toward the porch steps. For an instant, his concern for her overtook his excitement – he didn't want to overwhelm her. But he saw her mouth form his name, saw the smile spread across her face. Then he heard her, and saw her walk turn into a run, and the doubts flew away. He was down the steps, and she was in his arms, and he was never, ever going to let her go.

"You're here! You're really here!" She pulled back just long enough to really look at him, then threw her arms around his neck again and hung on for dear life. "I can't believe you're here!"

When he pulled back, he saw the tears in her eyes. He held her face in his hands, gently wiping them away, and kissed her soundly. He meant to remember that they had an audience, and that they were in the middle of a busy street…but that suddenly didn't seem to matter anymore. He did finally break the kiss, but he wrapped his arms around her and spun her around. "Missed you so much," he managed to whisper fiercely through the lump in his own throat.

"See…this is why our plan was to set the scene a little, Pip, and have you be in your workshop when we got here. Then you'd have had a bit more privacy." Jennifer vaguely realized that Mark's laughing voice was coming from behind her, not from the porch where she'd last seen him, and she saw that he had passed them to help Kelly carry up the packages she'd abandoned. It made her vision clear just enough for the questions to form.

"I don't understand…how…what…?"

"We decided that maybe you'd like an escort for the wedding," Kelly laughed. "And we thought that, just maybe, your captain here could use a little vacation." She freed a hand to squeeze her friend's shoulder as she came up to the couple on the walk. "We knew you hated putting off going home, but you did it to be with us. The least we could do is work to make sure you could be as happy as possible while you stayed here for us."

Jennifer tried to put her emotions into words. "I…I don't…Kelly…"

Mark threw his head back and laughed. "Kell, I think we did ok. She might not be a chatterbox, but I've never seen her at a loss for words quite like this." He thumped Jon on the back. "Why don't you two head inside? You can get caught up while we get things unpacked." Mark seriously doubted that much of what he was saying was registering with either of them. Neither of them had eyes for anyone but each other.

"Leave them be, Mark," Kelly giggled as they continued on into the house. "After what they've been through, who cares who sees them?"

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Vi could just see Jon and Jennifer from the back door. They were sitting on the porch swing behind the house, where they'd been for most of the afternoon. Once the shock of seeing each other had worn off, they'd retreated back there, where there weren't many eyes to watch them. She knew they had a lot to catch up on. Now, however, it was time to put Lottie's plan into action.

Jennifer had spent a lot of time helping out in the kitchen while she waited for the Council to come to their senses. She'd joked that the guys would be trying to talk her into taking on more KP duty if she brought home too many of Lottie's recipes but, as with anything else, she'd enjoyed learning. At the same time, she chatted with Lottie – and Vi, if she was around – and had shared quite a bit. It seemed it was easier for her to talk when her hands were occupied. When Lottie heard that Jon would be arriving in Eden, she'd hatched a plan to surprise the couple. Vi had to hand it to her friend. She really was a good listener, and had used the information she'd learned well.

Now it was time to let Jennifer and Jon in on the secret. She pushed the door open and headed towards the swing, making sure she made enough noise to announce herself…just in case.

"Jennifer? You two plan on eating dinner tonight?"

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"…Now that Stanton's been detained for orchestrating the attack against me, he can't take care of his business matters as well and it's hurting his bank account. And he's having a bit of a problem with his renters, too," Jennifer said with a grin. "It seems that a few of them aren't happy with some of his tactics, and they've found other places to stay. He is facing quite a few vacancies." She sighed and laid her head against Jon's shoulder. "It's not going to solve all our problems. Some people couldn't care less, as long as it doesn't affect them, and others agree with him. But they've realized that they're not the majority anymore."

"Thanks to you," Jon said simply, squeezing her tightly. "If you hadn't stood your ground, he and the people like him would have won."

"I do think it's good in the long run. He had been able to keep a pretty face on his actions before I came along. Then he could insist that he just wanted to keep Eden safe. But when he came unglued at the hearing, and he showed everyone exactly how ugly his opinions really were, he lost a lot of his support. Not all of it, but a lot of it. I hope it will make people think twice before they judge the girls."

They had been seated on the porch swing in a secluded corner of Vi's backyard for at least a few hours now, trying to get caught up on almost six months of not being together. At the moment, Jennifer was sitting beside him on the bench, his arm around her shoulders. He was holding one of her hands in his, unable to resist making as much contact with her as he could. He brushed his thumb along her hand. "I think they'll be fine. Are they going to start school?"

"Well, the school's just started their summer holiday, so for right now Mary and Tim have arranged for a tutor to work with them. But Sarah has started playing with Hannah on a regular basis, and Mary has Katherine signed up for a book club at the library. They're making a lot of progress. They're going to do so well when school starts up again, I just know it." The pride she had in those two girls was so evident in her voice.

"I can't wait to meet them," he said, laying his head against hers.  
>"It sounds like you're meeting everyone tomorrow. Vi's going to have a hard time fitting us all in the dining room. She said she plans on setting a table up for us out here on the porch! Apparently, you have quite a few people that want to check you out, Captain," she teased.<p>

"I'm sure they all just want to see if I'm good enough for you," he laughed back.

"I'm so glad you get to meet everyone. I've spent a lot of time in this swing since I've been here at Vi's, and I would sometimes daydream about being able to introduce my family back home to my family here." She tipped her head up and smiled at him. "I can't believe I actually get to do that. I'm still waiting to wake up from one of those daydreams and find out you're not really here!"

He leaned down and kissed her. "Not going to happen," he said simply. "Too many people pulled too many strings to get me here." They had discussed the plan to bring him here that Kelly and Mark had apparently hatched as they walked home right after Jennifer had agreed to stay in Eden for the wedding. Jon had told her of the handmade wedding invitation he'd found in the box with her letters, and how after some debate (and some prompting from their teammates) he had agreed to come back to Eden with Mark. The Council itself had given its permission him to enter Eden temporarily - of course, after the debacle that had been Jennifer's experience, they were a little more understanding. The plan was for them both to leave on Mark's next transport and rejoin their team. Until then, they had the next six days to enjoy each other's company without the weight of the war with Dread on their shoulders.

"I'm glad they convinced you to come, you know," Jennifer told him quietly, relaxing against him again.

"It didn't take _that_ much convincing," he said with a chuckle. "It's not that I didn't want to come, there was just…"

"Everything else," she prompted, shifting on the bench so that she could face him. "I do know you pretty well, remember?"

"Yeah, I guess you do." This wasn't going to work – she was too far away. He snagged her knees and brought her legs up so that they were across his lap, pulling her close again. She grinned at him, and somewhat shyly put her arms around his neck. "I don't think you're taking into account how much I missed you, though," he reminded her.

"I might have some idea about that," she said dryly.

"Yeah, maybe you do." He looked into her eyes and just smiled. Had he really contemplated _not_ taking this opportunity? "The team will be fine without me for a week, and we'll actually _be_ a complete team again when we get back. Those guys can handle anything, and they're not planning on taking on any major offences while we're away. And we're not going to worry about them for the next six days, ok? We're going to focus in on us – we most likely won't get a chance like this again for a long time."

"Is that an order?" she teased.

"Definitely," he said, leaning in towards her for another kiss.

"Jennifer?" Vi's voice came floating down the porch towards them. "You two plan on eating dinner tonight?"

Jennifer's face took on a surprised look, and she glanced at her watch. "Oh my goodness – it's a lot later than I thought!" She gave Jon a quick peck, then swung her legs down. "Lottie'll have my hide if I don't feed you!" She grabbed his hand and tugged on it, hurrying him along.

"I wasn't too worried about food," he chuckled, pulling her back to him and kissing her hair. He kept a firm hold on her hand as they walked toward Vi.

"Get some catching up done?" Vi asked with a smile as they came around the corner.

"Getting there," he replied. "We've got quite a bit of time to make up for."

"Good thing you have almost a week to do it," she said simply. "I think everyone else is done with dinner, so Lottie left you some things in the dining room."

"I'm sorry, Vi – I completely lost track of time," Jennifer apologized.

"Completely understandable," Vi said, winking at her. "Go on now, though – you still need to eat, or you know Lottie will have your hide." She ushered them inside, then hung behind them just far enough to not be obtrusive, but still hear their reactions when they saw the surprise Lottie had in store for them.

"Mmmm…something smells good," Jennifer commented as they made their way down the hall to the dining area.

Jon slowed. "Yeah, it does. Actually, it smells a little like…" They opened the door and Jon's face lit up. "Pizza!"

Jennifer stared at the table. "What?"

Vi's laughter came up the hall behind them. "Lottie and I figured you might want to actually experience that date," she said simply. When Jennifer just shook her head, Vi laughed.

"I…I had no idea…she remembered?" Jennifer had been reduced to speechlessness twice in one day. She didn't know what else to do, so she simply turned and wrapped her arms around Vi. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Stop it, now, you're going to get me all flustered," Vi laughed, patting the younger woman on the back. "This was Lottie's idea. I just helped a bit."

"I'll thank her, too, I promise," Jennifer said, not letting go. "But I have so much to thank you for! You kept me company, you took me in, you helped me with the Council-"

Vi pulled back and interrupted her. "Now that's enough." She looked sternly at the young woman who'd come to mean so much to her. "It was my pleasure. And you know you'll always have a home here. So when you finally get this war wrapped up and are ready to start a _real_ life, if you even think about heading anywhere else, I'll come after you." She let go and turned quickly, not wanting Jennifer to see the emotions in her eyes. "Now go on, you two. Go enjoy that date, even though it's six months behind schedule." And with that, she closed the door behind her.

"I take it there's a story behind this," Jon chuckled. When Jennifer didn't respond right away, he looked down and was surprised to see tears in her eyes. "Hey, you alright?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm fine." She took a deep breath and swiped quickly at her eyes. "I seem to be a little emotional today," she said, laughing at herself. "It's just that…right after the Council stopped me from leaving, I was floundering a little. I was getting the cold shoulder from the other boarders here, and I started spending more time in the kitchen with Lottie and Vi. One day when I was really down – I think I was having trouble seeing a Council member – Lottie got me talking about you. Somehow the story of the morning I left to come here came up, and I told them about how you wanted to take me out for pizza. And now…" She just gestured toward the pie on the table. "And they did this." She shook her head. "What would I have done without them? All of them?"

"I'm thankful we'll never have to know," Jon said simply. He wrapped her up in a hug, then released her. "Now, since they went to all this trouble…" He walked to a chair and pulled it out for her. "Care to join me?"

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	22. Chapter 22

**A/N - I haven't had any new ideas in a long time, so I decided to go back and read through some of my unfinished things to inspire me. I found this, which I originally wrote but didn't include when posting Letters for various reasons. I decided that I liked it way too much to leave it out, so I decided to add it. Everything else after this chapter is original to the first posting -just broken up and/or arranged in a different order. Sorry if I confused anyone!**

The chosen rendezvous point this time was not quite as remote as some of the others had been. Mark had known that he'd need an area where both ships could land to ease the work of unloading the supplies Jennifer would be bringing home with her. Between the things she'd gathered herself, and the boxes of supplies Lottie had been collecting for the team, there was quite a bit of "baggage" to take care of. Richards had put their ship down just out of sight of the coordinates they'd left the Power team, and they'd settled in to wait.

"You like being the first one to arrive, don't you?" Jon teased Mark as they waited. He was seated in the area where people bound for Eden usually spent their time – a room without any chance of viewing the outside. Jennifer sat close by his side, and Mark relaxed on a bench across from them.

"It means we're able to control the situation a little better," Mark shrugged. "What was the old saying? 'Be prepared'?"

"You don't strike me as a boy scout," Jon chuckled.

"Hey, now, Captain – you want help unloading and reloading all that cargo back there? Then I'd suggest you watch yourself."

Jennifer laughed at the two of them and stood up, pacing the length of the room. Jon watched her with a smile. Saying good-bye to most of her new family last night at dinner, and then Vi and Kelly this morning when she left, had been hard for her. But he knew she had missed the rest of the team, and was anxious to finally get to see them.

"Pip, pacing won't make them come any faster," Mark drawled.

"I know, but I haven't seen them in six months. Give me a break!"

"But I'm not going to have a chance to annoy you for a good long time," he pointed out. "I've gotta get it in now while I've got the chance."

Jennifer was shaking her head at both of them while they laughed when Richards poked his head into the hold. "They're here – just setting down." Jennifer's face lit up. She started for the door, but then paused.

"What?" Jon asked.

"Well…I don't suppose there's any chance I could sneak up on them?" she asked, grinning.

"I'm so proud," Mark said, sniffing dramatically. "I've taught you well."

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As soon as the jump ship was secure, Hawk, Tank, and Scout lost no time heading out. They'd been waiting for this day for too long. They were all excited to see Jennifer again, and more than a little curious to see if she and the captain had managed to "get to know each other" again, as Mark's note to them two weeks ago had suggested.

"I thought they'd be waiting on us," Scout said, brow furrowed. "They always get here before we do."

"Any sign of Mark's signal?" Hawk asked. He knew there was no chance of locating the courier unless he wanted to be located. Darn Eden 2 tech, he thought to himself. They could really use some of that out here…

"No, nothing," Scout replied.

"This better not end up like last time," Tank said, his voice holding a bit of a growl.

"Let's not get over-excited," Hawk said in a calming voice. "They'll be here."

Jennifer stood silently, watching them all from her hiding place. She'd circled around a large rock formation so that she could come up on them from behind. She'd also borrowed one of Mark's cloaks – the kind that interfered with scanners – in order to do it. She bit back a laugh as they wondered where she and Jon could be for a minute or two more, and then stepped out from behind the ship. "Looking for something, gentlemen?"

They all whirled around. Scout managed to reach her first, being the closest to her. He swept her up in a hard hug. "Oh, it's good to see you! I've missed you, friend," he laughed.

The moment he released her, Tank literally swept her off her feet. "Welcome home, Pilot," he said gruffly.

"Hey, big guy – no re-breaking any of those ribs, ok?" Scout teased him.

When Tank finally put her down, Matt was right there waiting his turn. "You, Kid, are a sight for sore eyes," he said, smiling down at her for a moment before hugging her himself. "It's about time you got here."

Jennifer's eyes danced as she looked at her three friends. "Oh, I've missed you guys," she said, her voice trembling a little. That got the hugs going again.

"Hey – anyone want to lend a hand with this?" Jon drawled, putting another box down on top of the ones he and Mark had already stacked next to the jump ship. No one had noticed them as they'd already come and gone.

"I don't know, Jon – you've been on vacation, so surely you've got the strength for it," Hawk teased him. "I think my back's a little sore today from working on the jump ship…"

"And just what have you done to my ship?" Jennifer demanded playfully.

"Just getting it ready for her favorite pilot," Hawk assured her. "We made sure she was in tip-top shape."

"Because we knew you'd have our hides if we didn't," Scout added. "Now, what is in all these boxes that the captain is so kindly hauling for us?"

"You won't find out until after your extra KP duty is done unless you lend us a hand," Jon said simply.

"He's back," Scout said in a stage whisper to Tank.

Once everything had been unloaded and reloaded, it was time for goodbyes. Jon shook hands with Richards, then with Mark. "Thank you," he said simply. "We wouldn't have made it through this without your help. And thank you for last week, as well." He smiled as Jennifer came to stand next to him, and put an arm around her. "We couldn't have asked for a better chance to get started."

"It was my pleasure, Jon – all of it." His smile faded a bit as Jennifer stepped out of Jon's arm and up to hug him. "Please, Pip – take care of yourself. I don't think I could take it if you didn't come back to Eden eventually, and I know my wife couldn't."

The comment made Jennifer smile through the tears that were threatening to fill her eyes. "You just like saying 'my wife'."

"Darn right," he smiled back at her before turning serious again. "I admit, Pip, I wondered why you'd want to come back here. Then I saw you with the captain here, and I thought that was it. But after seeing you out here with these guys, I understand it even more. They're your family, and I'm glad you're finally back with them."

"I am, too, but I'm going to miss my new family back in Eden now," Jennifer replied, her voice trembling slightly.

He wrapped her up in a hug just as strong and warm as any of the others she'd received that day. "We'll miss you, too," he said simply. After a moment, he set her back. "Take care of each other," he said in a rough voice.

"We'll do our best," Jon assured him, coming to stand behind Jennifer and putting his hands on her shoulders.

"That's all I can ask," he said simply. "Same place, same time, two weeks from today?"

"We'll be here," Jennifer answered.

He took a few steps back, waved at them, and walked around a corner and out of sight. Jennifer sighed softly as she watched him go.

"Hey," Jon said, squeezing her shoulders and the top of her head. "You going to be ok?" He turned her around so that he could see her face. He'd been worried ever since they'd started saying good-bye last night. Would she really be alright with leaving her friends behind?

But she took a deep breath, smiled, and nodded. He saw her eyes flicker to the others, who were trying to watch them without being obvious, and her smile became more genuine. "You know, I'm glad to be home, but we're in for a bit of a hard time from the guys, I think."

Jon winked at her, and leaned in close. "Nothing we can't handle," he smirked, kissing her quickly before taking her hand and walking back to where the team was standing.

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"And the living quarters are down this way, my lady."

Jennifer was still giggling at the fake – and, according to Tank, poor – French accent that Scout had adopted as he'd swept her away from the jump ship, arm in arm, on what he'd called "the grand tour." Jon had immediately been notified by Mentor upon arriving at the base that Elzer Pulaski had been trying to get in touch with him for several days, and had gone off to the control room grumbling. Jennifer was pretty certain she'd heard something about "not going to interrupt today," but wasn't quite sure why he'd had that reaction. Elzer had always been a strong ally of theirs. She'd have to ask about it later.

Her first impression of the new base was that it was smaller than the Colorado base. There, there was way too much room for a small, five-person team. This base – Northstar, she told herself; she needed to refer to it by its name – was more compact. It wouldn't take her near as long to her bearings here as it had when she'd first joined the team.

"Now, I know you'll be itching to get back to the hangar bay and inspect that ship of yours, but you're not working today. We want you to unpack and get yourself settled, and then we have a little "welcome home" celebration planned for you. Mentor is under strict orders to only interrupt us in an extreme emergency. So, if Dread knows what's good for him, he'll lay low today."

Jennifer laughed again. "I'm sure he'll take into consideration the fact that I'm coming home today and rearrange his calendar."

Scout's face had worn a grin almost since she'd appeared behind him, but it grew warmer after her comment. "It's good to hear you say that, you know - good to know you still consider your home here with us. I could tell you were enjoying parts of life there in Eden in your letters…a part of me wondered if it would be hard for you to come back."

Jennifer just shook her head and squeezed her friend's arm. "I met a lot of people I care about there. But you guys are my family, Scout. You always will be."

The sparkle in Scout's eyes was electric. "That's what I like to hear," he crowed. "Have I got a few projects I want to introduce you to…"

"Scout, let the girl be. She's been here less than an hour." Tank's gruff voice sounded from behind them as he carried a box down the hall. "Let her get settled."

"You just want us to get there so you can get rid of that box," Scout said slyly. "Anyway, here we are. These are my quarters…here's Grumpy's digs," he added, motioning behind him at Tank and winking at Jennifer as they passed closed doors. "…Here's Hawk's…and this will be your home sweet home." Scout bowed to her, the sweeping gesture with his hand indicating that she should activate the keypads. "Your old codes should work. We had Mentor set it up that way so that you wouldn't have to worry about it." He reached in for another quick hug, and then backed off. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some preparations to attend to before today's festivities." His grin threatened to split his face as he turned and practically jogged off down the corridor.

Jennifer shook her head as she turned back to the door. They'd kept her old codes? That made her grin even wider. They really had thought of everything they could to make her more comfortable. She reached for the control pad, surprised how her fingers seemed to remember the code without any conscious thought from her. The doors slid open to reveal a room that was a little smaller than the one she'd had back in Colorado, but still with everything she needed. She immediately noticed the workspace – there were several books on the shelf above it, several tools neatly arranged in the drawers…and a picture of herself and Kelly laughing on the desk itself.

"What…where did this come from?" she asked, surprised. It wasn't a picture she'd never seen before.

"The captain added that one," Tank said. "He and I picked out the books, Hawk pulled the tools he knew you liked to use the best, Scout loaded your computer with music that you like. We wanted you to feel at home. That picture was the last thing the captain put in here before he came to see you. I think your friend from Eden that takes pictures – Sam? – took it, and Davis brought it to the captain right after the first time you were supposed to come home."

Jennifer picked the framed picture up and held it carefully in her hands. She and Kelly were laughing at something, sitting on a couch in what looked like Vi's private sitting room. "I remember when this was taken…Mark was doing an impression of one of the guys in his hangar, and Kelly and I couldn't stop laughing."

"When we saw those pictures, we realized that you really were ok," Tank said simply. "You were in such bad shape when you left, and though we'd 'talked' to you through our letters, we hadn't seen you. Coming home without you that day was pretty hard on all of us…the captain most of all, but we all missed you. When Davis brought those the next week, it helped all of us. I think the captain figured it would help you as you're missing your new friends, too."

Jennifer's eyes softened as she looked at the picture, and they were full of emotion as she set it down. She ran a hand along the books on the shelf, pausing at the volume of Shakespeare's sonnets. She gave Tank a glowing smile. "This one looks familiar." This had been how he had introduced her to Shakespeare – through an old, battered copy that he owned that was literally falling apart at the seams.

"I ran across a copy of it when we were at the Passages, and I knew it would be perfect for you when you came back."

"I love it," she told him truthfully. "But, Tank, your copy would have been destroyed in the explosion last Christmas. That book meant a lot to you – wouldn't you want another copy for yourself?" He'd carried that one book from Babylon 5 with him. It had been one of the few things he'd held onto throughout the years…Tank wasn't one to put much stock in material possessions. But he'd shared with her some of what that book had gotten him through, and she knew it was only the tip of the iceberg. That book had meant a great deal to him.

"I'll keep looking for one. It sounds like, maybe when this whole mess is over, I might be able to find another copy in Eden."

Jennifer's eyes sparkled as she remembered. "Oh, Tank – I gave up trying to count how many times I wished you were there when I visited the library. The things they've managed to save! There's hope for art, and music, and literature – all because the people that have found their way there were willing to share what they had with others. It's going to help so much when things get back to normal." She paused, thinking of how she'd introduced Katherine to Shakespeare with the same book. "I borrowed a copy of these from the library to read to Katherine. She loved them right away."

"Hmmm…not like another young lady I remember," Tank said with a smile.

Jennifer laughed. "I know. It took me a little while to understand. But I learned! Katherine's different – reading is by far the best way for her to absorb the information she didn't get as she was growing up. I took her to the library for the first time the day before the Council's final ruling. It was everything Sarah and I could do to tear her away." She smiled warmly at her friend. "You two would become fast friends, I think. The best way to get Katherine to talk is to discuss books."

"If I would enjoy it half as much as I've enjoyed the talks we've had, Pilot, I look forward to it." Jennifer took a steadying breath as he said that – her emotions had been so overwhelming the past few days, and it was unusually hard for her to control them – and stepped closer to hug him. "I've missed you all," she said softly. "I made friends there, and I love them, but they're not my family."

Tank patted her back. "We're glad to have you back, as well."

"I leave for a little while and everyone gets all mushy on me, huh?" Hawk's voice came from the doorway. "Jeez, you'd think we hadn't seen you in six months or something." He sat the box he was carrying down on her desk with a smile.

"You'll be doing the same thing as soon as I leave, old man," Tank said gruffly as Jennifer stepped away from him. "Don't think you can fool me."

"Who says I'm going to wait until you leave?" Matt retorted, pulling Jennifer into a hug himself. "We've missed you, Kid," he said softly.

"I've missed you, too," she said, her eyes filling again. "Now, you guys have to stop this," she said in as stern a voice as she could muster, pulling away and swiping at her eyes. "I can't do this all day long."

Tank and Hawk both laughed at that. "I think I'm going to head to the kitchen and make sure Scout isn't ruining our meal. Take your time, Pilot." Tank gave her one last grin, then turned to head in the same direction Scout had.

Hawk stood there in the door for a moment, just grinning at her, then realized what he was doing. "Ah…I should probably let you unpack in peace and quiet –"

"No…really, I won't mind the company," she smiled. "I don't have too much to do. Then we can head down and see what the rest of them are up to." She opened a box and began putting away the few things she'd brought with her. "So...why was Jon so disgruntled about Elzer?"

Hawk chuckled. "Nothing. Elzer's been asking about you a lot since you left, that's all. It gets Jon's back up a little."

"Asking about me?"

"He just wanted to make sure you were ok. When we started contacting all the other Resistance cells to get help for you, it was pretty obvious you were in bad shape. He has made it a point to ask Jon whenever they speak how you're doing. Jon couldn't tell him where you were, and I think…well, he didn't like having to keep skirting around the details." Hawk's grin widened. "Plus, I don't think Jon's quite comfortable with any other men taking an interest in your well-being."

Jennifer looked up, surprised, then blushed. "Oh." She turned quickly back to her box. Hawk kept his chuckle silent this time. He wasn't here to make her uncomfortable.

"You didn't bring much back with you," he pointed out, changing the subject to make her more comfortable. "At least, not for yourself." She'd firmly stated that none of them were to so much as peek into the boxes that she hadn't designated as needing to go to her quarters.

"I don't need a whole lot out here," she smiled. "This one is mostly clothes that I can work in. The other one has some books, some music, some pictures. The kinds of things I thought I wouldn't want to be without. Anything else I managed to collect there I left with Vi. She said she'd keep them until I got back." Her whole face softened as she mentioned Vi, and she sat down on the bed with her hands still full. "Hawk, I don't know what I would have done without her. She came and found me when she heard I'd arrived, and took care of me from day one. Between keeping me from going insane in that hospital bed, bringing me food, letting me stay with her, helping me with the Council…" Jennifer shook her head. "I wouldn't have been anywhere near as comfortable without her."

"That's Vi," Hawk said simply. "When she cares about someone, she'll go through fire for them."

"But she didn't even know me – she'd met me once." Jennifer's smile turned sly. "Part of me thinks that she started visiting me in the hospital to get updates on you."

Hawk chuckled. "It might have started out that way, to an extent. But she came to care about you just as much as we do, Kiddo. She's going to miss you. She's told me so in her letters. I'm now hearing over and over again about how we have to all take care of each other so that she can have a big Sunday dinner with all of us – sooner rather than later, she's quick to point out."

"I know – she mentioned it to us last night, too. She has it all planned out. She even was taking menu suggestions," Jennifer laughed.

"Well, I'll have to be sure to give her mine in my next letter." Hawk moved farther into the room as Jennifer finished unpacking the box, leaning against the wall as he continued. "I managed to sneak a look at the beginning of the latest letter Mark brought me on the way back here. She was going on and on about how happy you and Jon looked this past week."

He watched her face flush, and the speed at which she pulled the second box toward her and dived in didn't go unnoticed, either. He fought down a smile…this was still Jennifer, he reminded himself. Still the young woman who was trying to find her way when it came to emotions. Sharing them with someone other than Jon would probably still be hard for her. But he felt that this was something he needed to make her understand.

"I…we had a really good time," she said, still not looking at him. "Not having to worry about the war was amazing."

"I can tell just by looking at both of you. I haven't seen Jon as relaxed as he looked today since I don't know when." That comment brought her eyes to his, and the smile on her face was genuine. "You're good for him, you know. You help him remember what he's fighting for. And you seem a little more comfortable in your own skin, though that might be due to your time in Eden as much as Jon," he mused.

"A little of both, probably," she smiled. "I think in the long run it was good for me to be on my own for a little while, no matter how much I missed you guys."

"I think you grew a lot, Kid. You've come a long way since we found you. There would have been a time when sending you out to be cared for by people you weren't comfortable with would have been impossible for you. Not only did you survive it, but you built a circle of people who care about you." His smile was proud. "It's like watching you graduate from high school. You made us proud."

Her eyes softened. "Thanks. That means a lot to me," she said quietly.

"Well, you mean a lot to all of us. We weren't complete without you." He crossed the room and put his hands on her shoulders, and despite his efforts otherwise, his voice became gruff. "Personally, I don't want to come that close to losing you ever again. I don't think I could handle losing another daughter." Her eyes welled up then, and she took a step forward and hugged him, hard. Matt smiled. A few years ago, this would never have happened. She would never have been comfortable with the constant physical contact. Now, she welcomed it. In a way, his 'little girl' _had_ grown up and come into her own.

"And I'm going to have a stern talk with Jon about making sure he treats you right," he teased as they pulled apart. "You two are going to have to work a little harder at this now that you're back out here. You're not going to just get a lot of chances to relax – you're going to have to make a conscious effort to create those chances. You two make each other too happy to not work at this."

The blush returned, but she didn't turn away this time. "We plan on it, Hawk. Trust me."

"And I'm glad you've got a thick skin," he continued with a rueful smile. "Because you're going to have to deal with a bit of teasing. All good-natured, of course."

"Oh, I never would have expected that," she drawled.

"I'd worry something was wrong if you didn't," Jon's voice added from the doorway. Hawk saw how both their faces lit up at the sight of each other. Yes, they made each other happy. The lines that usually were visible around Jon's eyes were gone, and he looked rested and happy. Matt wondered if he'd seen Jon that happy since before Stuart had died. Jennifer, meanwhile, wore a grin from ear to ear, and her eyes sparkled as they met Jon's across the room. At that moment, Matt knew that if they could just make it through this war, the two of them would have a real chance at their own version of "happily ever after." He made a promise to himself that he would do anything he could to make sure that they did just that.

"There you are." Matt couldn't help himself – he had to do it. "So…how's Elzer?"

Jon glared at him, but kept his voice steady. "He's fine. He's been fielding a few questions about when we were meeting again to put a coordinated plan together. Since no one outside our team knew about my little 'vacation,' he was trying to put something together. We're looking at meeting sometime next week – he's going to get back to us."

"Oh, is that all?" Matt asked, trying to sound innocent.

Jon sighed and closed his eyes. "He asked me to let Pilot know he was looking forward to finally seeing her again when we meet."

Matt's laugh broke free – he couldn't help it. "That man isn't going to take a subtle hint, is he?" Shaking his head, he gave Jennifer another one-armed hug and kissed her forehead. "Ok, you two, I'll leave you alone for a little while, but you're not to hog her all afternoon, Jon – do you hear me? I expect you two to be in the mess hall soon to start this party we've been waiting to have for so long." He gave the two of them as serious a look as he could muster under the circumstances as he headed out the door.

Jon moved into the room to let Hawk pass, then hit the button to shut the door behind him. "I thought they'd never leave," he teased, taking her into his arms. "I'm definitely not ready to share you just yet."

Jennifer grinned back up at him. "They were just helping me get my things settled."

"No, they've missed you. Not that I can blame them, of course." He leaned down for a kiss, then looked around. "You all unpacked?"

"For the most part." She motioned to the picture on the desk. "Tank says that came from you?"

He nodded. "Since I have the real thing close by now, I won't need it. I thought you might like it."

"Mark brought it to you?"

"Yeah – he brought me several, actually. I'll have to show them to you later on. There's one of you and Max that I like in particular. You're not getting that one, though."

"He and Sam were pretty sneaky – I had no idea he'd brought you pictures."

"And you're surprised by this?" he asked, his eyebrows lifting.

"I guess not," she giggled. Reaching up to kiss him quickly, she turned back to the one box that still held a few things. She took out one more photograph, already framed – a picture of the whole group at Matt and Kelly's wedding. Placing it on the desk, she stopped to look at it for a moment. It was now one of her prized possessions – it included everyone in Eden that she loved, as well as Jon. Everyone was dressed in their finest, but what really made the picture were the smiles on every single one of the faces.

"That was a good night," Jon said simply, walking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

She nodded and leaned back into him. "Yes, it was. I think this will always be one of my favorite pictures. I never had any before this! And I like the idea that we'll eventually be able to collect more of them. In fact, there's one in particular I'm looking forward to getting."

"Really? Which one is that?"

"One that we take after the war ends – after we win. When we all go back to Eden together to start a new life." She smiled and craned her neck so that she could look up at him. "We'll all be in that one – Hawk, Tank, and Scout, too. That one will be perfect."

He couldn't help but smile at her determination. Yes, they had a lot to do before that picture could be taken. And they knew all too well that they might not all be there to take that particular picture. But, in her usual style, Jennifer would look on the bright side – maybe even a little stubbornly, but still – and be able to envision all of them together, safe and sound, on the other side of this mess. In fact, he could almost picture it in his head as well.

"Well, that's it," she said simply, pulling out of his arms and replacing the lid on the empty box. "Why don't you show me where the storage room is, and we can put these away before we go join in that party."


	23. Chapter 23

"You two aren't disappearing on us again this evening, are you?" Hawk teased Jon and Jennifer one night a few weeks after she'd returned. "You know, Jon, we missed her too. And you had a week with her to yourself in Eden. You need a lesson in sharing."

Jennifed smiled broadly at him. It was so good to be back with her family! The hugs she'd waited so long to get were still coming at unexpected times. Scout had gathered her up in an impromptu dance just that afternoon, laughing because she'd been able to help him come up with a solution to the problem he'd been working on in mere minutes. Tank would squeeze her arm whenever he passed her in the hallway. And Hawk had been throwing an arm around her whenever they walked to the hangar together. They were all joking and laughing together even more than they had before last Christmas had happened. It was as though they'd all gotten a wake-up call. They'd all faced the painful reality that time wasn't something to be messed with – they needed to take advantage of every minute they might have.

"We've got a job to do tonight," she said simply. "There's a box that has apparently been sitting in his quarters for a long time, based on the amount of dust that's accumulated on it."

"Ahhh," Matt said. "You've finally convinced him to open it? It's about time."

"Hey – I was waiting for the right person to go through it with," Jon said with a cheeky grin.

"You mean the person that's been back for..let's see, how long have you been back now, Pilot?"

"Ok, ok. We're going now," Jon said loudly, grabbing Jennifer's hand and pulling her out of the kitchen behind him. Matt winked at Jennifer as she exited the room, and she smiled knowingly back at him. They'd both seen the tension in Jon's shoulders, despite the teasing tone of his voice. This was something he was looking forward to and dreading at the same time.

To his credit, he walked straight to the box and set it on his workspace when they arrived in his quarters. "Here we go," he said simply, using a utility knife to cut through the tape on top of the box. He sat in the chair, and Jennifer stood behind him with her hands on his shoulders. He welcomed the physical show of support. He was more than a bit frustrated with the fact that his hands shook slightly as he opened the box.

"Oh, my goodness," he said, laughing softly as he began pulling items out of the box. The first thing to come out had been a bundle of papers. "I had no idea he'd saved these things," he said, completely surprised.

Jennifer peered over his shoulder as he sifted through them. "These are yours?"

"From school," he nodded. History papers, science reports, essays…there was a little bit of everything. Not all of the papers had earned full marks, he noticed. "I wonder why he kept some of these. They weren't all the ones I got the best grades on."

"There had to be some reason," she countered. "Do you remember anything about any of them?"

"This one – my science report on artificial intelligence…Dad helped me with it. I remember that I got to go into work with him more often, and got to see parts of his lab I hadn't seen before, as I was doing the research for it. My teacher thought Dad had helped me too much – that's why I didn't get full marks for it." He chuckled at the memory. "Dad was livid."

"It must've reminded him of the time you two spent together as you were writing it," Jennifer smiled.

Jon nodded, then put the papers down on the desk and reached into the box again. He brought out a leather-bound photo album that had seen better days. "Oh, my. I can't believe this still exists!" When he opened it, they saw page after page of pictures of Jon as a boy, from his first steps all the way up to playing ball with Mitch Masterson somewhere around age 13.

"You had the same smile then – how old were you, five? – as you do now," Jennifer laughed, pointing at a picture of Jon grinning ear to ear with a school bag on the ground next to him.

"First day of school," he said simply. "I couldn't wait to go. If I remember correctly, Mom and Dad had to hold me back from running at a full sprint the whole way there."

"You're missing a tooth," she giggled.

"I was five," he said, raising his eyebrows at her. "It happens."

"You were awfully cute," she said simply, continuing to giggle. He just shook his head and continued to leaf through the pages. She put her hand on the page to stop him when he came to a picture of himself at age ten or so. He was sitting on a pier, looking out over the water. "And there's that determined, serious look that I see so often," she said softly. "Even when you were so young, you got that look?"

"We were watching the fighter planes come and go from a naval base," Jon said, remembering the day the picture was taken. "I was in my glory watching those pilots being put through their paces. The noise, the speed – it was everything a boy my age was interested in. I was worried I'd miss something…and at the time, I'd heard people whispering about what might be coming. I was torn between wanting to be up there with them, experiencing that speed, and wishing that we didn't need them."

"You've got a similar look on your face now," she said softly, leaning down to wrap her arms around his shoulders and squeeze him tightly. He reached up and laid a hand on her arm, then smiled at her and turned the page. "Oh, no…"

The peals of laughter coming from Jennifer now reverberated off of the walls of the room. The page held an enlarged picture of Jon at about age 13. He was wearing only what looked like a pair of swim trunks and had a guitar in his hands. His arms and legs had been so long and skinny, but the rest of him still looked very much like a little boy. There was a look of fierce determination on his face, and he was strumming the strings with a wild movement. Behind him, Mitch was pounding with great gusto on a set of drums.

"Hey, it was completely normal to want to start a band when I was 13," he said, trying to defend himself. But he also felt the heat rising in his cheeks. He finally gave up and grinned, watching Jennifer brace herself with one hand on the desk while she laughed. "That's quite enough, Corporal," he growled, grabbing her hand and pulling her into his lap. "I think we've seen enough of these pictures for now."

"Oh, but that one is too good to leave in a book," she managed to say as she caught her breath. "It needs to be displayed."

He ignored her pointedly, closing the photo album firmly and swiveling in the chair so that he could grab the next few items out of the box. He kept one arm around her waist when she made to get up. He needed her close to him at this point. For all the teasing and laughter, the idea was settling in on him that these were his Dad's things. He wanted her as close as he could get her.

There were several books in the box next. A few of them had been favorites of his mother's, he'd explained. Jennifer had read many of them, but he insisted she take the copy of _Little Women_ when he found out that it hadn't been one of the books she'd read in Eden. She'd argued, saying that she didn't want to take something that had been his mother's. "Mom would be scandalized that you had this gap in your literary education," he'd said with a smile. "I think she'd be the one pushing it into your hands if she was here."

Once the books had been put aside, there was only one more item in the box. Jennifer felt him stiffen when he leaned over to get a good look at it. "Jon? What is it?"

He lifted it from the box carefully and set it down on the desk, clearing the cardboard away now that it was empty. "Mom's jewelry box," he said softly. He ran a hand over the top of it. "Her grandfather made it for her when she was a girl. She always said it held a lot more than just her jewelry. She always kept anything that was important to her in it."

Jennifer waited for him to open the box, but he simply sat there with a hand on it. "Jon?" she prompted again. "Don't you want to open it?"

He shook his head. "I wasn't allowed to as a kid. This was the one thing that was off-limits. Something that was so important to her that I wasn't allowed to touch it. I don't think that Dad ever even went near it."

"I don't think she'd mind now," Jennifer encouraged him softly. After all of the stories that Jon had told her over the years about his parents, she knew for a fact how much they'd cared about their son, and how much it would hurt them that he'd been left without them at such a young age. "I think she'd want you to have any part of her or your dad that was left."

It took a moment, but he'd nodded in agreement. Then, using both hands, he gingerly opened the box, as though afraid it would fall apart. But the hinges opened without so much as a squeak. Inside, blocking anything else that might be in the box from his view, was an envelope. There was one word on the outside of it – his name – in his father's handwriting.

He heard Jennifer's quick intake of breath. "Is that…from your dad?" she asked him in a whisper. He was only able to nod. She leaned her head against his for a moment as he took the envelope in his hand and simply stared at it for a moment. Finally, she kissed his forehead and got up.

He panicked for a moment. "Where are you going?"

"Jon, I think maybe you need to read that by yourself," she sighed. "It's from your dad, and it was meant for you. Why else would he have put it in a box marked 'personal' that was all taped up? He didn't want anyone else to have these things. This is between you and your dad."

"Jennifer…" He wasn't sure how to express to her how much he needed her to be close to him while he read it. How he simply wasn't as strong when she wasn't near him. She must've seen it in his eyes, though – and he was once again thankful for the fact that she seemed to know him so very well. She smiled at him and suggested a compromise. "Okay - how about I just go over here?" She gestured to his bunk. "I'd like to start your mom's book, if that's ok. And that way I'll be here when you're done reading."

He smiled at her gratefully and watched her take his mother's book and stretch out across his bunk. She'd given him one last encouraging look, and then resolutely opened the book and began to read. He stared at the envelope for another minute before opening it and letting the pages inside slide out into his hand.

_Dear Jon,_

_ I didn't want to write this. I didn't want to think about the possibility that you might be left alone. It was so hard when we lost your mom…to think that you might have to go through all of that again – without me – is hard. But these are frightening times, son, and I had to put some of my thoughts down on paper, just in case. _

_ You know that if I'm not there, Matt will be there for you. He's still hurting, too, Jon. He shouldn't be alone, either. Maybe the two of you could form your own little family. And hopefully you'll find others to fill that family out – people you can trust, and that you can work with._

_ No matter what happens, Jon, never forget that being human is a blessing, not a curse. Humans have created so many beautiful things in this world – music, literature, art, architecture. The only one better at creating beauty is nature itself. That beauty is not something inferior, no matter what slogans Lyman might spout. Your mother and I taught you about those beautiful things, and I want you to be able to hold onto them through however bad a mess this turns into._

_ I know you'll keep fighting, Jon. That's not what I'm writing this for. That kind of passion is in your blood, I'm afraid. But I don't want you to forget about living while you fight. You're so determined, son. Your mother called it tunnel vision, and I admit that you come by it honestly. Just make sure you pick your head up and look around you from time to time. No fight is worth sacrificing yourself. No enemy is worth you giving up everything that makes living worth it. There were times that I neglected everything else as I tried to make this world better. I know that sometimes you and your mother wanted me to be around more than I was. Don't let yourself make the same mistake. _

_ Things are getting serious right now. Even now, we don't have many safe places to go to that aren't military installations. So I decided to put a few things away that I don't want you to lose. Some school papers, just because I was so proud of you for working so hard. Some of the books that your mother and I loved to read. I don't know how much time you'll have to read them, but I wanted to make sure that you could. A photo album, so that someday you can show your children what their father was like when he was a boy. And your mother's jewelry box. I don't have much left of her, Jon. She wasn't one to collect many things, and a lot of what she had was lost when we lost her. But her jewelry box made it. I was surprised by how empty it was when I found it. There's some hair in there from your first haircut, and a card that you made her one Mother's Day. Her grandmother's locket is there, which she always said brought her luck. And there's a letter in there from her mother to her when she'd first gone off to university, telling your mom how proud she was of her. The last thing I found was a picture of the three of us that I think I remember Matt taking when we all went to the beach several years ago, back before everything got so twisted up. It was the last really carefree trip we took. I admit that I had a copy made of my own that I could keep with me. I need to be able to look at it and remind myself of how it was, and what we're fighting for._

_ I've decided to leave our wedding rings here, as well. Your mother's been gone for a few years now, but I haven't ever been able to take off my ring. It was a bit too final of a goodbye. Now, since I'm sending this box someplace completely safe, I want to include them. That way you'll have a little piece of the two of us, even though we're gone. Who knows…maybe you'll be able to use them some day. I hope with everything that I have that you find that, Jon. I hope that you allow yourself to feel for someone as strongly as I felt for your mother. Life isn't worth it without that kind of connection to someone._

_ Since you're reading this, things are either really bad, or the war is over. Either way, I've programmed Mentor to alert you of the location of the second base so that you'll eventually find this. If things are bad…maybe the pictures and the memories will make you smile. If the war is over, I hope you'll be able to share these things with whatever family you've surrounded yourself with. I meant what I said – your children should be able to see what their dad was like when he was their age. And if that's the case now, tell them that their grandfather is watching over them from somewhere. _

_ I love you, son._

_ Dad_

Jon sat there for a long time, staring at the letter in his hands. Finally, he became aware of the tears on his face, and reached up to wipe them away. He'd been able to hear his father's voice in his head as he'd read. It was like having him there again, just for a moment. A part of Jon hadn't wanted to stop hearing that voice, and he'd read the letter over and over again.

Finally, he put the letter down and reached into his mother's box. He saw the bag with the dark hair in it from his first haircut, and the locket that he remembered as being bright and shiny, but now was tarnished. He'd opened it to find pictures of himself as a baby and his father in it. He skimmed the letter from his grandmother to his mother, looked at the Mother's Day card written in his childish handwriting. Then he picked up the picture of his family so long ago. The three of them were barefoot on the sand with the ocean at their backs. His mother had a large, floppy hat on to keep the sun out of her face, and she was laughing as she held it on her head with one hand. The other arm was draped across Jon's back, her hand resting on his father. Jon's face was red from the sun, and his hair was windblown. He was grinning up at the camera as if he was having the time of his life. Stuart Power's smile was one of the most genuine that Jon had seen in a picture of his dad. He looked about twenty years younger than he had when he'd died, and wasn't looking at the camera at all, but at his wife and son. The tears came back to Jon's eyes as he looked at it for even longer than he'd sat staring at the letter. His hand brushed against the three rings nestled carefully in the proper place in the box. His mother's engagement ring and wedding ring still gleamed there, along with the wedding band that he hadn't even realized his father had stopped wearing. Stuart Power couldn't have written this letter very long before he'd died, or Jon would've noticed that. _I hope that you allow yourself to feel for someone as strongly as I felt for your mother. Life isn't worth it without that kind of connection to someone._ How thankful he was that he could honestly tell his father that he had learned that lesson, though it had been painful at times.

His eyes immediately sought out Jennifer, and he caught her stealing a glance at him as she was supposed to be reading. His heart swelled, and he rose from his chair. As he crossed the room to where she was, he was so very grateful for the fact that she was here with him right now.

L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L

Jennifer tried to concentrate on the book in her hands. She could tell that, under different circumstances, she would have been able to lose herself in it almost right away. She'd noticed, when she'd first settled down, that Morgana Powers' name had been written inside the cover on an engraved book plate. It was obvious that the woman had treasured the book. The pages were a little worn on the edges, telling Jennifer that they'd been turned many, many times. But the spine was still fairly sturdy, and the cover barely had a scratch on it.

However, she was more concerned about the man sitting in the chair on the other end of the small room. She watched Jon's body language as he finally opened the letter and settled down to read it. From her furtive glances in his direction, she could tell he'd gone back and re-read it multiple times. When the tears had first started to fall, it had taken everything she could do not to put the book down and go to him. But she'd meant what she'd said – this was something he needed to do on his own, at least initially. She settled for stealing glances at him every few minutes. She saw him switch his focus to the box and its contents, and saw him focus on another photo for a long period of time. Then, the next time she'd glanced up, he was watching her. She grinned sheepishly from her spot on the bunk, and he'd given her a sad sort of smile in return. He rose from his seat and sat down next to her. She immediately sat up and wrapped her arms around him. He held her tightly, his breathing a bit uneven. Eventually they relaxed back onto the bunk with her leaning against the wall, and him leaning against her.

"Are you ok?" she'd asked him after sitting in silence for a long while.

He sat up and looked into her eyes. She still saw sadness in his, but she also saw a great deal of tenderness as he looked at her. He reached up and tucked a piece of hair that had escaped her ponytail back behind her ear, than laid his hand against her cheek for a moment. Finally, he'd smiled at her. "Yeah, I am."


	24. Chapter 24

Jennifer blew on her hands to warm them in the raw winter air, and stood as close as she could to a rock outcropping to shield herself from the wind.

"You know, after living in the Arctic Circle for more than six months now, you'd think you'd have a better tolerance for the cold," Jon teased her quietly, running one last scan of the area to be sure they were safe.

She glared at him. "Apparently, I just don't have as high a latent body temperature as you guys do," she retorted. It had been the running joke ever since she'd returned and found out that their new home was about as far north as you could get. She always had a sweater on over her flight suit, and Kelly had sent her some warmer layers to put under them for Christmas.

Jon finished the scan and came up beside her, leaning down for a quick kiss since he'd just made sure they were safe. "Mark's on his way. Then we'll get you back to the ship and warmed up."

"I'll hold you to that," she teased him.

"Ok, you two – break it up." Mark's voice carried over the bitter wind that blew over the area he'd chosen as this week's rendezvous point. "You've got company now."

"Mark!"

"Hey, Pip! It's good to see you," he smiled, setting down the pack he was carrying and catching her up in a bear hug. "I missed you the last few times." They'd had to leave their letter bundles for each other to find a few times lately due to emergency runs, and one large-scale attack that couldn't be scheduled around their regular letter drops. And last time Jon had come alone. Mark didn't want to admit it, but he'd been terrified at first that something had happened to her.

"Well, the jump ship wasn't going to fix itself," she said apologetically. "And since Scout was in the medbay, someone had to get it done or else we were stuck with the skybikes as our only means of transportation."

"Working you to the bone, I see," he said, holding her at arm's length and looking her over.

Jennifer rolled her eyes at him. "Please. I don't have Lottie's cooking out here, remember? Though we had quite the Christmas dinner, thanks to you guys and the supplies you brought us."

"Lottie considers feeding you guys her own personal way to help the resistance," Mark chuckled. "And it must be your lucky day, because I come bearing gifts again," he said as he motioned to his pack, which she noticed was much larger than usual.

"What is all that for?" she asked, surprised.

"Well, I heard a rumor that it's someone's birthday tomorrow…" He laughed again as she rounded on Jon. "No, don't glare at him. We knew you at this time last year, remember? Although you were still kinda out of it…"

"You guys didn't have to do that," she insisted.

"Yes, we did," he said simply. He looked down at her knowingly. "Celebrating things like holidays and birthdays remind us of the value of being human, according to a conversation I understand one former member of the Dread Youth had with another a few months back."

She just shook her head and grinned at him. "Nothing like having your own words used against you," she muttered.

"Welcome to the club," Jon snickered. She'd done the same thing to him more than once. He settled back and watched as the two of them went through their routine of catching up on the news of all the people they cared about back in Eden. These little updates, along with the letters that Mark continued to ferry back and forth between them every few weeks, were Jennifer's lifelines to the people that she had chosen to leave behind, but still missed. She read each letter over and over, and spent much of her free time writing back to them. Sam continued to send her pictures from time to time, and she had already noted sadly how much Hannah, Max, and the Schultz girls were changing just since she'd left. Jon often thought back to the goodbye dinner they'd had at Vi's, where everyone had enjoyed themselves but there had been an undercurrent of sadness that she would be leaving. She might not realize how much of an impact she'd made there – to the point where she'd be surprised that they would remember her birthday – but he did. He and Mark had spoken of it several times. If nothing else, those particular people would probably not have grown so close to each other if not for having Jennifer as a common denominator. She had left a second family back in Eden.

But no one could doubt that she was happy to be back. There was always a smile on her face, and she threw herself into her duties with even more than her usual gusto. She'd given them all a much-needed breath of fresh air. The guys had hugged her non-stop for the first few days after they'd returned. He couldn't blame them. He knew what it felt like to miss her. And every time she referred to the base as "home," it warmed his heart. Eden was Eden – a place she missed, and a place she wanted to return to someday. But here, where he was, was home to her.

"How did Sarah's article for the school newspaper go over?" Jon's attention drifted back to their conversation as it was wrapping up.

"Best-selling issue ever. Of course, that could have something to do with Mary purchasing copies for everyone in our little group."

"Oh, good! Maybe now she's found another outlet for her curiosity."

"Not to mention the fact that writing is just another form of talking for her," Mark commented dryly. "Katherine is learning how to play the piano, believe it or not. I'm sure you'll hear about it in your letters."

"Music would be a good fit for her," Jennifer said, nodding.

"Tim says she's actually starting to consider one girl in particular a friend, though he doesn't expect them to be having sleepovers anytime soon. Speaking of friends, my wife misses you something fierce, Pip. She keeps telling me she's going to stow away on the transport one of these days just to see you for a few minutes."

"Tell her I miss her, too. But we're making good progress," she said, eyes twinkling.

"Since I'm even hearing about your exploits back in Eden, you certainly are," he agreed. "Knocked out all Dread's communication on the eastern seaboard, huh? Pretty impressive."

"It wasn't just us. But it was still a step in the right direction. The sensor technology you sent us a month ago played a big part in that."

"Always glad to help. And anything to get you back where it's safe a little faster," he added. "In fact…Rebecca Chambers asked me to pass this along to you, Captain." He handed Jon a thin package. "I think some of the folks back home have decided that maybe we can end this war a little faster if we just collaborate a little more. Since I have a direct line to you, so to speak," he winked, "she wondered if I could get the ball rolling."

"That's wonderful," Jon said, taken aback. "Tell her yes! I'll have a better answer for her next week after we look through this, but yes!"

"I'll do that. Look, guys, I hate to do this, but I've gotta get back. There's a pretty powerful storm moving across one of the areas we have to cross, and I'd rather navigate it in the daylight." He winked at Jennifer before hugging her again hard. "Be careful, Pip," he said softly. "You, too, Jon," he said, clasping the captain's hand. "And no peeking at those presents until tomorrow, you hear me? Can I trust you to keep her in line, Captain?"

"I'll make sure she behaves," Jon chuckled, watching Jennifer sputter a bit at the thought of being minded.

"Then I'll see you next time. Coordinates and dates are in the letters, as always." He waved one last time before setting off at a jog, heading back to meet his "cargo" of refugees heading to Eden to start a new life.

"Come on, you," Jon said once they'd watched him round the bend and head out of their sight. He laid a hand on her back to start her - he had noticed that she was shivering. "Let's get you into the ship where it's warmer."

Once they were on their way to the Passages to unload the supplies that were packed into the hold, Jon opened the package from Chambers. Inside was a data reader. When he turned it on, to his surprise, he found a letter. Jon chuckled. "I think we started something," he said, rising from his chair and coming to sit in the copilot's seat next to Jennifer. He held up the reader so that she could get a glimpse.

"I guess we did," she said, shaking her head. "Who would have thought? Well, feel like reading it?"

Jon nodded, and began to read out loud.

_Captain,_

_ From what I understand, this is the "traditional" way of contacting your team. I thought it seemed fitting. I hope this letter finds you, the Corporal, and the rest of your team well. I've asked Mark Davis to bring this to you in the hopes that we can begin to work together in a way that benefit the Resistance._

_ Ever since Corporal Chase's case came to light, some of my colleagues and I have been discussing ways that we could help the Resistance as you continue to fight against Dread. We have resources here in Eden that I know would make a difference for you. Many of us feel that we have an obligation to do this, and that we've been avoiding it for far too long._

_ We would like to arrange a meeting with you and John, the courier you've met with in the past, to discuss an exchange of information. We would like to present you with the schematics for a few things we've developed that could be helpful to you, starting with the regenerator that helped heal Jennifer. In return, John would talk with you about what you need most. If we don't have it, we have scientists and engineers that would be willing to work on it, and perhaps exchange ideas with your people or people you trust. These exchanges would need to be done via written communication, as we can't risk a transmission. However, my colleagues and I feel it's a real step forward towards helping to end this war instead of simply hiding from it._

_ It has come to our attention, through John, that some technology from Eden has already made its way out to you. Please don't get me wrong – the only thing that upsets me about this is that the people involved felt the need to keep this a secret. There are still people in Eden who will fight us about this, but those of us who feel strongly enough about helping aren't willing to back down. We have enough support that we can make this happen. Please let John know, if you agree to meet with him, how you've been able to use what you've gotten so far, and what could be done to make them better. The only way we'll be able to improve upon what has come from Eden so far is if we get feedback from you._

_ Please let Mark know at your next meeting if this plan meets your approval. If it does, he will give you the details you need to meet with John. I look forward to hearing from you. Please let Jennifer know that I think of her often, and I hope she has been able to readjust to life outside Eden. Something tells me, from seeing you two at the Davis' wedding, that it wasn't too hard. _

_ Sincerely,_

_ Rebecca Chambers_

As Jon finished the letter, he glanced up to see a disbelieving smile on Jennifer's face. "What do you think?"

"I think it's amazing, and it's a complete turn-around to the mentality that was there when that mess first started," she said simply. "But I think that this is a very good day for the Resistance, Jon. What they've got there – what they can help us accomplish…maybe the end of this war isn't as far off as we've thought."

Jon thought about that for a moment, then nodded. "If this actually happens, it could really help us gain the upper hand. We've been doing well lately, but we're still a long way from winning. Just knowing that someone out here has the capability to heal injuries as serious as yours were would be a real morale booster." He watched her for a moment as she made slight adjustments to the controls. He knew she did that without even being aware of it, and could tell by the look on her face that her mind was somewhere else.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked quietly, laying a hand on her arm.

She glanced at him, and gave him a quick smile. "Just thinking, I guess."

"About?"

She took a breath, then began. "I know it's been a long year. Christmas was hard for us because of what almost happened last year. I'm sure that's why Lottie and the others sent us such a big care package - to make sure we remembered to celebrate. It was hard to remember what happened that day, and for so many months afterward, and still feel like celebrating. But if this really happens, and we're able to use some of the technology they've developed there in Eden? And they might even be able to take some of the problems we're working on and try to find a solution for them?" She looked at him briefly again before focusing on the view in front of her. "It was worth it," she said simply. "It was worth all of it."

It was Jon's turn to ponder. "I don't know about that…you weren't there. I never want to relive those two days when I thought you were gone again. I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on anyone." He shook his head, almost as though he was trying to rid himself of the memories of that time. "And what about what you went through when they found out about your past?"

"I know it wasn't sunshine and rainbows, as Hawk would say," she smiled. "But we had no idea, when John appeared that day, that so much good would come from it. I got to meet Kelly and the others, I was able to help the girls, and now we're going to gain tools that will help us fight. If Blastarr hadn't found the base, if I hadn't been injured as badly as I was…none of that would have happened."

"Ok, I'll admit that there were a few benefits," he conceded. "But you're never going to get me to admit that sending you away for six months was a good thing," he told her with a smile.

"I guess I'll have to leave it at that for now," she conceded. Then, deciding they needed a change in subject, she stole a glance at him. "We'll be at the Passages soon. You have just enough time to write her back if you start now. Unless," she teased, "you're out of practice."


End file.
